Fly
by Venotica
Summary: What would have happened if the King in the North had married a player instead of a pawn? AU Robb/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello, All! This story is going to be an AU with Robb/OC, and is my take on what would have happened if he had married a player in the Game of Thrones instead of a pawn. It will start in a Clash of kings and span through A Dance with Dragons, so spoilers. But trust me, Robb/OC is not the main story arc. Her relationship with Robb will be the first half of the story, while the second half will focus on what happens to her after his death, and will include Daenaerys in the storyline. I plan for it to be very long. Please, give it a read and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is gladly accepted.

* * *

><p>Chapter One- Winter is Coming<p>

"_I came to win, to fight_

_to conquer, to thrive_

_I came to win, to survive_

_To prosper, to rise_

_To fly"_

_-Fly, Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna_

NAEVA

Naeva looked out over the battlements as the Stark men began their way to the castle she had always called her home. Beside her, the guards shifted nervously. And for good reason. Only a hundred men had been left to hold the castle when the rest of the men had ridden off to heed Tywin Lannister's call to arms. Today her dress was purple, lined with white. The colors of her house. But as she stood looking out over the field at the Stark colors, she was not afraid. If all her mother said was true than she could not be allowed to be afraid. "All men want the same thing." Her mother said sharply when the scouts brought report of Stark banners. "You will restore the power our house once had." Naeva had looked at her mother confused when she said that. "I am but one woman. How am I supposed to restore the power of our house?"

"By making him yours." Was all her mother had answered.

That night, her mother brought a whore from the brothel outside of their keep to Naeva's room. "Teach my daughter." Her mother had commanded the whore. And so that night Naeva learned exactly what her mother had meant by making him hers.

The next morning Naeva had been furious with her mother. She remembered the argument distinctly. "I am to marry a Lannister." She snarled at her mother viciously. "If I am soiled who will want me? No Lannister man will marry Robb Stark's whore!" Her mother had merely shook her head. "You will do what I order you to. I will worry about your marriage prospects. If you play this right I may not even have to do that. Perhaps the King will take you for his mistress. He is to marry a Frey girl. I'm sure he would want to far more prettier company. And if the king takes you as his mistress, our house will be well protected, and it will be given wealth again. We could be powerful again, Naeva. Like our house used to be." Naeva had seethed at that. "You would have me be a King's whore in the hope that he might show some favor on you." She spat back at her mother. "What if he doesn't take me as his mistress? What if he beds me once and that is the end of it? No honorable man would want a woman who has already been tried. I would find no husband."

Her mother merely smirked. "There are men that would take you, trust me my darling. Men from lower houses would gladly take you in the hopes of raising the status of their own houses." Naeva looked at her mother incredulously. "You would have me marry a hedgeknight." She snarled. "I was thinking the Clegane's, actually." Her mother had replied with a small smile. Naeva slammed the door to her mother's chambers on the way out. It was only when she reached her own room that she gave in to the tears she had been holding back.

But as she stood atop the battlements she felt no fear. She merely held the fur cloak around her closely. There was a chill in the air. Winter was coming.

* * *

><p>Her mother had her fetched from the battlements shortly afterward. They were to be waiting in the courtyard when her father brought Robb Stark forward. It was her father's hope that if they welcomed the King in the North to their keep he may spare them. When she heard the rattling of the gate opening and no sounds of battle, it seemed that the King felt no need to shed blood. Naeva couldn't help but to think that if the roles were reversed, Tywin Lannister would have taken their modest keep by force.<p>

The King rode in on a big bay horse, followed by several of what she assumed were his lords, and a small amount of his host. The rest of his army would stay outside of the castle and have their camp there. As he rode closer, she saw the giant direwolf of rumor jogging at his horse's side. The wolf's head came up past her waist easily. She saw her mother shift uncomfortably at the sight of the creature, but Naeva felt no such discomfort. When he finally came to a stop, she got her chance to have a good look at him.

His hair was auburn slightly curly. It had apparently been some time since he cut it, because it hung loosely in his eyes. His eyes were a beautiful piercing blue. He had a slight beard to accent his face. As he dismounted his horse, she noticed that his body was just as appealing.

He was handsome, there was no question about it. She knew that if she ended up needing to do what her mother had alluded to, she would not have to feign being attracted to him. For that matter, she may not even have to pretend to enjoy it.

"Stark men are hard." Her mother whispered in her ear. "He will be honorable before anything else. You may find him a challenge."

Naeva pretended not to hear her mother.

Her father had rode in beside Robb Stark. He dismounted as well, and led Robb over to his wife. "Your grace," He began, addressing the king. "My Lady wife, Miranda Fortescue." The king nodded his head to her mother before taking her hand to kiss it.

"My Lady." Was his only response.

_If he hates us for being Lannister bannermen he does not show it. _Naeva thought to herself. But now her father was continuing.

"And here, I have my two daughters, Naeva and Natalie. And my son, Arthur, named after me." As her father said her name, she curtsied for the king. Her younger sister standing to her left did the same, and her small brother gave a curt bow.

Robb Stark looked at Naeva for a moment before saying a quick, "My Lady." For her younger sister and brother, he merely gave a curt nod.

"But you must be weary from the road." Her father began immediately afterwards. "Come, I will see you to your rooms and have some refreshments sent to you and your men." With that, he and her father were off again. As soon as his cloak was out of her sight, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She looked to her right to her mother, who merely had a satisfied expression on her face. The woman bid her children follow her, and so they left the courtyard.

Her mother quickly sent her son off with the old woman named Mary who normally watched over him. Her two daughters she took to her room.

As soon as the door was closed, she began to speak. "You did well today, Naeva. You caught his attention."

_Did I?_ She couldn't help but to wonder. Maybe she had been too nervous to notice. "I'm glad that his grace took the care to notice me." She replied. As she heard herself speak, she was surprised at the amount of cold in her voice as she spoke to her mother. But then she remembered their argument.

_She thinks of me as nothing but a king's whore._

Her mother stared her down. Lady Fortescue was not an uncomely woman. When she had been younger, she had been heralded as beautiful. She had long blonde hair with brown streaks in it, and eyes like green fire. But hair that had once shone like gold was now dull, and gray was beginning to appear at her roots.

It was often said that Naeva looked more like her mother than her father. She had hair that shone like gold, and deep green eyes. When she had been younger, her father had used to call them wildfire eyes. When she had asked him why he replied, "Because your eyes are just as fierce and green as that flame." Everyone that came to their keep called her beautiful, and she had had more than enough marriage offers. She had been crowned Queen of Love and Beauty at one of the more local tournaments by a knight. He was of a lower house, to be sure, but the compliment was still gratuitous.

A bard several years ago had come to visit and had been so inspired by her beauty that he had wrote a song about it. The song was known by some, and mostly got sung around the area of her home. She had, however, had visitors before all the way from Casterly Rock that had heard the song. Apparently it had become more popular.

As she glanced at her sister, she knew that her sister looked more her father. Her hair was a dark brown, much like their father's, but she had green eyes. Her eyes, however, did not hold the same fire Naeva's had. She lacked the curves that Naeva had been blessed with and had always been a little awkward. Her face however, was more like their mother's. So she could not be considered uncomely.

"You will need to make sure you hold his attention." Her mother said simply. "At the end of this week we will be having a feast."

"Surely his grace has more important things to do than attend a feast." Naeva tried to say.

"His grace is fine. Stop making pathetic excuses." With that, their Lady mother stood. "I must attend the preparations for the feast." She said simply before walking out and leaving the two daughters alone.

"It won't be so bad, you know." Natalie said softly from her side. Naeva turned her head towards her sister with a questioning look on her face.

"He's very handsome." Her sister began. "And he seems kind enough. His birth is very noble. And if he gets you with child, it will be a bastard, yes, but he will be royal." Her sister paused to look at her feet. "And to be his mistress. I don't think he would be cruel, or mean. It would be a good life."

Naeva stared at her sister, trying to understand. Being the mistress of a King would be a comfortable life, yes. But Naeva wanted to be a Lady and have a keep. And have a Lord husband who would give her beautiful trueborn sons and who would love her.

There was silence between the sisters for a few moments. "Mother told me that once the war is over, I will marry Ser Gregor Clegane."

At her words, Naeva understood why her sister would rather be a king's whore. She immediately wrapped her arms around her younger sister. "I will not let her do that to you." She vowed. "I will find you a good husband." She promised. Her sister hugged her back and nodded into her hair. Naeva could feel her sisters tears against her cheek.

* * *

><p>ROBB<p>

After Arthur Fortescue had left, Robb took the liberty to sink back into one of the chairs in the room and relax. Grey Wind trotted over to sit in front or Robb and rest his head in Robb's lap. Robb scratched the big wolf behind the ears distractedly. His squire was quick to pour him a glass of wine.

They had been debating whether or not to take the castle by force when the Lord had rode to their camp to invite them to his keep. It was not a surprising move. Many would rather surrender than attempt to face thousands of men.

He knew the castle to belong to the Fortescue's, and as they were riding up to the keep, some of his lords had joked about the daughter that was supposed to be as fair as The Maid herself.

Robb had thought it was merely a saying, until he had laid eyes on the Fortescue's eldest daughter.

Her blonde hair had been stirring slightly in the wind, and his eyes had immediately been drawn to the movement. But once he had set his eyes on her, he had trouble taking them off. He had found it a miracle that he had been able to dismount without tripping. And he was pretty sure he had forgot to address the other Fortescue children. He had almost forgotten they were there after the girl's father had said their names.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought as he took a sip of his wine. He was engaged to a Frey. He must remember that. Beauty would fade in time, but his alliance with the Frey's would last. And besides, he had his honor to remember. _And hers as well_. He added as an afterthought.

_You're a fool_. He thought to himself. One _look at a beautiful girl and your mind wanders to a bedroom_. He assured himself that it was only because of the war. His soldiers often spoke of bloodlust. And there had been times after battle when he had wanted nothing more than to find a woman. But those thoughts eventually vanished if he ignored them long enough. _These thoughts will do the same_. He assured himself.

"Olyvar." He called out to his squire, who was standing politely by the door.

"Your grace." The boy answered immediately.

"Go get some rest. I'm going to meet with my lords."

"Of course, your grace." The boy answered.

_Making battle plans will take my mind off of this girl_. He thought to himself as he stood and left his room to go track down his lords. He could have had them summoned, but he needed to walk. His battle plans may take his mind off of the girl for a time, and the keep was large enough that he should be able to avoid her. But there was to be a feast at the end of the week. No doubt she would be there. He tried to forget about that.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week went by quickly for Robb. He was so often busy with his lords he didn't really have time to do much else. The Fortescue's kept a Godswood right outside of their walls, but that was about the only thing he had really taken the time to find out about the place. He spent so much time planning their next move it was a wonder he had even found the Godswood.<p>

His constant planning, however, had kept him well away from the beautiful blonde he had set eyes on when he first came to the keep. And when it was finally time for the feast, he had pushed the girl to the very back of his mind.

Robb was given the place of honor beside Lord Fortescue, of no surprise. What was surprising was when the eldest daughter was placed to his right. He had been hoping to avoid the girl throughout the feast, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case. He talked mostly with Lord Fortescue through the first course, but soon their conversation ended. He knew he couldn't simply ignore the girl sitting to his right. And he had been stealing glances at her through his whole conversation with her father. While the Lord had been talking, he had been admiring her golden hair, her bright eyes, the curve her breasts beneath her dress. _Bloody hell_. He thought bitterly to himself.

He turned his head to address her, but his words caught in his throat, and suddenly he felt himself half a fool. He tried to remember what he was going to say to her when his direwolf saved him. Grey Wind stuck his head between them and gave the girl a good sniff before settling his head in her lap.

At this the girl merely laughed and gave the big wolf a scratch behind the ears.

"He's very handsome, your grace." The girl said to Robb. "What's his name?"

Robb was shamed at how long it took him to respond. _You are a king, you have fought in battles. Answering a question shouldn't be this difficult_."Grey Wind."

The wolf pricked his ears at the sound of his name.

"From all of the rumors about this wolf, I assumed him to be vicious. But it seems to me he's really rather sweet."

"He bit off two of the Greatjon's fingers." Robb stated simply, which caused the girl to hastily withdraw her hand from the wolf. _Good going, Robb. Just make her think that Grey Wind is going to rip her hand off. _He tried his best to make a quick recovery."But that was only because he thought I was in danger. He seems to like you, actually."

The girl smiled at that, and Robb felt his heart skip. She put her hand back on the wolf's head and scratched him behind the ears. _Her name is Naeva_. He reminded himself. _And she was for the Lannisters until your force came outside of the walls. And you are engaged to a Frey. Make no mistake. She would turn you in to the Lannisters in a heartbeat._

As he was thinking the girl changed the topic of conversation. "You have done very well in this war so far, your grace. All around people speak of you as if you are Aegon the Conqueror come again."

"You were for the Lannisters." Robb stated simply. "Me winning should be a bad thing for you." He reached over to his goblet and took a sip of his wine.

Naeva brushed her hair over her shoulder as she turned more towards him. His eyes observed the milky white skin along her neck, and he immediately prayed she hadn't noticed. If she had, she paid him no mind.

"My father was declared for Tywin Lannister, yes. But the Lannisters have never been particularly kind to us. And Tywin Lannister is known to be more cruel than merciful."

"But you think I am merciful?" Robb immediately replied.

"You spared my keep. We had crimson and gold banners flying above our heads. You could have easily taken this castle by force. But you didn't."

"The less bloodshed, the better. I see no reason to kill those who surrender."

"So you are already better than Tywin Lannister."

Robb couldn't help but to smile slightly at that. "So how would you have this war end, if you had your way?"

"I would let the North govern themselves. And let the Southron lords decide who their rightful king is."

Robb smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "I'm afraid that solving the problems of this war won't be that easy."

"I'm only a Lady from a minor house who knows nothing of war, your grace." She responded, a smile playing about her lips. "But I do know some about men. And I know that so long as men are involved, nothing can ever be solved easily."

Robb laughed aloud at that. "Do you think women could solve the problem more easily?" He jested.

"Never." She replied with a smile before taking another sip of her wine. "Women can be just as ambitious as men."

He smiled at that and took another sip of his wine. He turned his head as music began to pick up throughout the hall, and several people stood to dance.

Naeva smiled next to him as the music began. "This is my sister's favorite song." She said, more to herself than to him. "But she's so shy, she never dances to it."

Robb turned to look at her after taking another drink of his wine. The more he talked to the beautiful blonde girl, the braver he felt around her. Or maybe it was the wine making him brave. He couldn't decide. "Well, let's see if we can't change that."

* * *

><p>NAEVA<p>

Naeva saw the shock written on her sister's face as the king went right up to her and asked her to dance. But for the first time, the timid girl did not refuse.

As the king led her shy sister to the dance floor, she took another sip of her wine and watched. Grey Wind had lifted his head from his lap as soon as the king had left, but the direwolf's head easily came over the table, and he didn't have a problem seeing over it. It seemed that as long as the giant wolf had one eye on his master, he was okay.

Her eyes stayed focus on the king, who was patiently trying to help her sister dance. The poor girl kept tripping over her own feet, but the Young Wolf was ever patient. By her side Grey Wind gave a low whine and she slipped him a piece of chicken. As Grey Wind ate happily, Naeva's mind drifted. The longer she watched the man before her, the more her mind wandered_. He is the key to saving my sister_. She thought_. If I can win him over, he can wed her to one of his lords. Technically we wouldn't even need to be lovers. Just so long as he has some favor for me_. She did not want to let her sister become the third deceased Lady Clegane. She hoped that praising his war efforts had done something for her. _I will have to prove I am loyal to him_. She thought quickly.

She glanced to her left down the table, to where her mother was seated. Her mother was watching the pair on the floor as well. But as Naeva looked at her, her mother turned and raised her goblet to her daughter. Naeva quickly turned her head away. _No_, _mother_. She thought bitterly. _This is for my sister. Not to please you._ She knew now that what she had always overheard the servants say about her mother was true. The woman was an opportunist, and worked only to help herself. _She's horribly ambitious_. Naeva thought darkly.

She was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn't even hear his approach. "My lady?"

Naeva glanced up quickly to see the King in the North standing at her side. He offered her his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

Naeva felt her nerves flare up suddenly. She had danced plenty of times before, with Knights from minor houses, uncles and cousins, her father and even her little brother. But dancing with a King suddenly made her terrified. _This must be how my sister feels all the time_. She thought to herself.

She placed a nervous hand into his. As he led her to the floor, she couldn't help but to think of the old stories her mother and septa used to tell her, about beautiful maids and the handsome men that swept them off their feet_. If only things were as innocent as the stories_. She thought to herself.

As she began to dance, her nerves slowly faded away. Even though her mind was fuzzy from wine and from her constant political thoughts, her body still knew how to dance. She was, however, aware of the closeness of their bodies, and the presence of his hand on her lower back. And his startlingly blue eyes.

She almost wished that he wasn't kind and handsome. Because at least then she could tell herself she was acting when she was in his company. That she really hated being around him and that she was only pretending to enjoy his company. But as he spun her away from him only to bring her back closer than they were before, she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips. It occurred to her that maybe the wine wasn't the reason her mind was fuzzy.

* * *

><p>AN: Please tell me what you think, =) Reviews greatly appreciated. I've never written anything for Robb before, so let me know if I'm keeping him in character.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I apologize for the extremely long time it took me to post this, but unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost everything. So I had to rewrite this whole chapter. =[ And I lost my itunes. But, oh well. Here's chapter two. I think it turned out better than the original chapter that I wrote.

Thanks to Baroque, noplaceforahero, and Yumeomirai for reviewing the first chapter.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: The Godswood<p>

ROBB

"Your Grace?"

Robb glanced up to look at the Greatjon.

"Our next move?"

Robb focused back on the map. He had been having trouble keeping concentration the past few days.

Robb stared down at the map before him, drumming his fingers against the wood on the table. His eyes scanned quickly over the various figures on the map, before finally looking up at the men surrounding him.

"This new Lannister force at Oxcross must be dealt with. The day after tomorrow we will march on them there. I don't think they'll expect us to attack them so close to Lannisport. Tell the men."

The Lords around the table nodded their consent and began to disperse. Grey Wind immediately noticed all of the shuffling about and seemed to understand the meeting was over. He lifted his head hopefully and thumped his tail against the floor.

"We're going outside right now, I promise." Robb said to the big wolf.

The wolf immediately jumped up and ran to the door. Robb followed shortly after, and began his journey through the castle towards the godswood.

His week had been going well. He had been making much progress with battle plans, and hardly seen Naeva at all. Which was fortunate, because for whatever reason, he always seemed to get tongue tied around the girl and completely lose track of what he was doing. He had barely avoided humiliation just a few days ago, when he had caught sight of her across the courtyard. They had exchanged waves, but he had been paying more attention to her than where he was walking and had nearly run into a servant who was busy sweeping.

After that, he had been extremely careful to get nowhere near the girl. Even if that meant taking ridiculous routes around the castle.

When they finally reached the godswood, Grey Wind immediately took off into the trees, leaving Robb alone to walk.

He had been thinking a lot of his siblings lately. He missed all of them. And it was infuriating to him that they still hadn't been able to get Sansa or Arya back from the Lannisters. There was still no word back from Theon about how his meeting with his father had gone either. The Greyjoy's naval support could make the difference in this war.

But as he thought of Theon, he thought of Winterfell. Which made him think of his siblings even more. So far, they had been successful in their war campaign, and Robb knew he ought to be happy about that. But being away from home was becoming more and more trying every day, and going from always being around his siblings to having none of them was difficult.

Robb was almost to the weirwood when he heard Grey Wind's scuffling in the undergrowth stop suddenly. It was quiet for a few moments, and then he heard the wolf take off. He assumed that the wolf had found a rabbit to chase, until he heard a scream.

Immediately, Robb ran the rest of the way to the weirwood, until he came upon Grey Wind.

The wolf had barreled someone over, and was now proudly standing on top of them, paws resting on their chest. Robb couldn't see who it was, until he saw the blonde hair.

_Seven hells. _He thought immediately.

Naeva was attempting to push the wolf off of her, but unfortunately Grey Wind thought that they were playing a game.

"Off. No, off. Stop licking me! Off. Grey Wind!"

Robb could tell that the girl was trying her best to be stern with the wolf, but laughter could still be heard in her voice. At each word, Grey Wind only wagged his tail and sniffed at her enthusiastically.

"To me, Grey Wind." Robb said, and the wolf immediately bounded to his side.

Robb quickly walked over to the girl and helped her up. Her dress had been red, but now it was covered in mud and grass.

"Your Grace." Naeva said very quickly as she stood.

"I'm so sorry." Robb apologized immediately. "He never does that." Robb looked down at the wolf and realized that this was the second time that he was talking to Naeva because of his wolf. The wolf glanced up at him, and for a second Robb swore he saw a knowing look in the wolf's eyes.

"Its fine, your grace." Naeva replied as she brushed herself off quickly. "He was just playing, I'm sure he didn't mean any harm."

"At least let me buy you a new dress." Robb replied. As Robb looked at her, he felt guilty. He was sure this morning she had done her hair and had made sure that there was not a single thing out of place. Now her dress was ruined and there were sticks all in her hair.

But to Robb, she still looked beautiful.

"No, it's fine. I have plenty of dresses." The girl replied politely.

"Are you sure?" Robb couldn't help feeling guilty. He could tell the dress was expensive from the scrollwork along the sleeves.

"Yes of course. You have much more pressing matters to worry about than a dress."

Robb nodded in response, and then another thought came to him. He was sure that the Fortescue's followed the seven, but Naeva was in a godswood. "Do you keep the old gods?" He asked her.

"Oh. Um, no." Naeva knelt down and picked up a book off of the ground that Robb had failed to notice before. She had probably been holding it before Grey Wind knocked her over. "I was reading. It's quiet here. Not many people come here, so." She brushed the dirt off of her book before speaking again. "But I was just leaving, and this is definitely more of your place than it is mine." Naeva gave him a small nod and a quick 'your grace' before she began to walk away.

Robb took a few steps in the direction of the weirwood before stopping short.

He wasn't sure what came over him at that moment. He debated for only a moment before calling out to Naeva.

"Naeva!" He called out just before the girl was almost out of sight.

The girl turned around and gave him a questioning glance.

"Why don't you walk with me? I could use some company." As he said the words he knew he was a fool. But then Naeva smiled at him, and he didn't really care about being a fool. Because for the first time in a long time, he was genuinely smiling.

She nodded, and walked back over to his side, and they began walking.

* * *

><p>NAEVA<p>

Naeva nearly leapt out of her seat when her septa yelled her name.

"Naeva! Will you please, pay attention?"

Naeva forced her eyes away from the window and looked at her septa. "I'm sorry. What was the question?"

"The words of house Tyrell."

"Growing Strong."

"Thank you. Now perhaps you will pay attention?" Her Septa's voice was heavy with annoyance, but that didn't stop Naeva from daydreaming almost immediately after.

Her Septa had been annoyed with her ever since she had returned from the Godswood yesterday with one of her best dresses completely ruined. As soon as Naeva had opened the door, her septa had had a fit.

At first she was furious because Naeva was late, but then she saw her dress. Then she was furious because her dress was ruined. And then she found out where Naeva had been.

"You were alone with Robb Stark?" Her Septa had shrieked.

Naeva had merely nodded in response.

"What would your mother say? I swear, alone with a boy, no chaperone. And a king at that! These kings think they're entitled to everything. I certainly hope you didn't _give_ him everything."

Naeva couldn't help but to feel thoroughly annoyed when her septa said that. "Please. Go tell my mother where I've been. I'm sure she'll be thoroughly angry that I didn't fuck Robb Stark tonight."

If her septa had been angry before, that remark made her absolutely furious. But it had irked her for her septa to immediately think so ill of herself and the king.

Robb had been a complete gentleman. They had walked for a short while before stopping to sit on one of the benches located in the godswood. He had helped her pick all of the sticks and leaves out of her hair, and when it got chilly he had lent her his cloak. She remembered how quickly her heart had beaten when he had first helped her with the leaves in her hair, and then again later when he had draped his cloak around her shoulders.

And nothing scandalous had happened at all. They had just talked. He talked about Winterfell, how much he missed his siblings. He told her all about Bran and Rickon. He told her about Arya, who would always rather be a knight than a lady. And he talked about Sansa, who he thought Naeva would get along with very well. He also talked about Jon, his half brother, and about Theon Greyjoy, who was as good as a brother to him.

Naeva talked about her little brother, Arthur. Arthur had plans to be the greatest knight in all of the seven kingdoms. And one day, he wanted to be on the kingsguard so he could become a hero. Her sister, however, was extremely shy. Natalie would rather spend her day locked in her room sewing than risk meeting somebody new.

Naeva spoke about how much she missed riding her horse. Ever since the war had started, it was too dangerous to ride. Robb promised that one day, after the war was over, he would take her riding.

And then the sun had set, and Robb had walked Naeva to her room.

And then her septa had started yelling.

But Naeva didn't care. She was too light-headed and happy to care if her dress was ruined, or if her septa was yelling.

And still, Naeva couldn't keep focus on anything for very long. Her mind kept returning to the previous afternoon.

Finally, her septa seemed to understand that there was no point in trying to teach today. Naeva knew she was completely distracted, and Natalie already knew everything that there was to know about the seven kingdoms.

"Alright. Fine. Off, you two." Their septa finally said, exasperated.

It took Naeva only seconds to be out of her chair, and out the door.

The day was bright and cool out, so Naeva immediately went to the courtyard to find something to do. Today she had chosen a light green dress that she had always thought complimented her eyes and skin. The day was brisk, but not cold, so she had no need for any cloak.

As she walked across the yard, she glanced up at the battlements, and couldn't help but to notice the change in banners. Formerly, Lannister red had flown above the white dove of the Fortescue's. But now there was the grey direwolf flying above the purple and white banners. She couldn't help but to think that the grey and white banner complimented their own more than the red and gold one had.

Naeva continued across the yard aimlessly until she heard a loud clacking sound. She changed her direction and continued towards the noise until she came upon her brother and their master-at-arms. Her brother was nine, but very determined already. He was training with wooden swords inside of a small arena. Naeva stopped by the side of it and rested her hands on the wood railing.

Their master at arms was teaching her little brother blocking today, it seemed. But by the amount of 'ows' that were coming from her brother, he didn't seem to be taking to the lesson.

The boy was tall for his age, and looked more like their mother than he did their father. He had blonde, curly hair and fair skin, like their mother. But he had the hazel eyes of their father. He seemed to have the stubborn determination of their mother though, not the laidback nature of their father.

When her brother got hit again, Naeva couldn't help but to let out a small laugh. Her brother immediately turned his head at the sound of her laugh.

"It's harder than it looks!" He insisted immediately.

"I'm sure it is." Replied Naeva. "I certainly couldn't do it. Doesn't mean it's not funny to watch you get hit around though."

Her brother smiled at that. Her brother was never grouchy, and always seemed to be able to take a joke. "I think you should come and fight me." He stated simply.

"Great idea. Learning how to beat up a girl will be very useful when you're guarding the king."

Their master-at-arms smiled at that. "She's right, my lord. I'm afraid that hitting your sister around wouldn't do anything for your prospects on the kingsguard."

Her brother was about to come back with a smart reply when he suddenly shut his mouth and dipped his head courteously. Their master-at-arms did the same, and Naeva quickly turned to see who was behind her.

She felt her heartbeat quicken immediately as soon as she saw the king standing a few feet away. She immediately dipped her head to him. "Your grace." She said quickly.

He nodded back to her before walking over to stand beside her along the fence. "Let's see what you can do." He said simply to the boy.

Arthur immediately nodded, and turned to face the master-at-arms. He charged towards the man and swung, eager to prove himself. Their sword fighting lasted a few minutes before the master at arms killed her brother with a blow to the side.

Her brother let out an indignant 'ouch' as soon as he was hit and gave the master-at-arms a glare, which caused Naeva and Robb to laugh.

"Keep working Arthur. You have a lot of potential." The king said simply to her brother.

His words made her brother's face light up immediately, and he seemed to forget the hit he had received earlier. He immediately went back to attacking the master-at-arms.

There was silence between the two of them for a moment before the king spoke. "Walk with me?" He asked simply.

Naeva immediately smiled and nodded, and the two of them began to walk.

"That was very sweet, what you did for my brother. Thank you." She said simply to the king.

The king merely nodded in response. "Everyone could use some encouragement every now and again." He replied. "And he reminds me of Bran, before the accident."

Naeva nodded in understanding. "Do you miss your home?"

"Every day." He replied immediately. "I never thought that once I left I would miss it as much as I have."

"I couldn't imagine leaving home for war." Naeva replied. "It would be so hard. Not knowing whether or not I would come home." She paused for a second to look at the king. "But if my family was in danger, I would have taken the same course of action that you did."

Naeva continued walking forward, her eyes focused ahead of her, but she could feel the king's gaze on her. They walked in silence a little longer, until they finally reached to top of the battlements.

Naeva looked out over the lands, until she noticed something unusual. "Your men. They're packing. Are you leaving?" The camp that his forces had made outside of their walls was buzzing with activity."

"We march on another Lannister force tomorrow." The king answered simply. He stood beside her as she looked over the lands before them.

Naeva immediately turned her head to look at him. "Tomorrow? Will you be returning?" She felt nervous butterflies in her stomach. At first she was confused as to why, but then she had a sudden realization. She had grown attached to him. She didn't want him to leave, and she couldn't help but to fear for his life.

The king glanced away from her. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "It will depend on what happens at the battles. We may return here or march straight to Riverrun."

Naeva had been resting her hands against the stone of the battlement. "Oh." She said simply. Suddenly her hands became much more interesting to her. She chanced a glance at the king, but he was looking away from her.

He was leaving tomorrow. She couldn't help but to be shocked. She had been so sure that she would have more time to get to know him. The more she had been around him, the more she had come to like him. She hadn't been so sure before, but she knew now that she had been developing feelings for him.

The realization dawned on her, and immediately she began to wonder if he felt the same way for her. She looked at him again, but he seemed determined not to look in her direction_. If he looks at me, I will know_. She thought to herself.

She tried her best not to hesitate. She reached up with her hand, and gently placed her fingers on the side of his face, turning his head towards her. As soon as she touched him, she felt her heart skip a beat.

He obediently turned his head towards her, and their eyes met.

She felt a tingle go down her spine, and she did her best to keep her face still. When he didn't seem to respond to her, she went to pull her hand away from him. But then he turned his whole body towards her. The distance between them closed immediately, and she was reminded of the feast, when they had danced together.

The king lifted one of his hands to brush her hair over her shoulder, and his fingers brushed lightly against her neck as he did so. He paused for a moment, and then traced the tips of his fingers down her arm.

Naeva dropped her hand from his face and instead moved it to his neck, while placing the other hand on his chest. She didn't know how they got there, but his hands were now resting against her hips. One of them must have taken a step closer, because they were standing closer than they had before. She glanced up at him, and her eyes met his. Her heart felt like it might explode from her chest, and she wasn't entirely sure if she was still breathing.

And then he was leaning towards her. She could feel his breath on her face, and she could feel his lips brushing against her own. Her breath caught in her throat, and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

He moved closer to her, and she was certain that he was going to kiss her. But then he only murmured to her softly. "I can't." Was all he said. "I want to, but I can't."

He pulled his head away from her, but kept his hands where they were.

Naeva nodded in response. "I understand." She replied simply. She removed her hands from him, and took a step away from him. She turned her head toward away from him, to look out over the land again. She knew why he couldn't. He was engaged, he was a king, he was at war.

"Good luck tomorrow." She said simply to him. "I wish you well."

She quickly walked past him back towards the stairs that had brought them to the battlements. She heard him call out her name, but she ignored him and kept walking. She didn't want to, but she did anyways. _He has too much to risk over me_. She thought as she kept walking. _And it was only a crush. He will leave, and it will fade. If I see him again, I will ask for his favor for my sister. But I cannot now. He has too much to worry about. He is a good man. I will not ruin it. No matter what my mother wants._

So she kept walking, until she reached her bedchamber. _At least I know he felt the same_.

* * *

><p>AN: I know it took a while, but here it is, finally. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's chapter three. Enjoy! A new character gets introduced this chapter, tell me what you think of him, =) Also, there is no Naeva in this chapter! =( Originally she was, but I was looking at an eight-thousand word chapter with her in it, plus some more Robb stuff that I had at the end. I didn't really want it to be so long, plus I think it flows better like this. So just the warfront this chapter, and Naeva next chapter.

Thank you to Julietdaughter, Yume0mirai and Johnny Harder for reviewing the last chapter.

…

Chapter 3: To War

ROBB

Robb woke with a start. He looked around his pavilion, certain something must have woken him. He reached over to his side table and grabbed the dagger that was laying there. He threw the covers off of him, and stood cautiously. He was only wearing a pair of baggy woolen pants and a loose shirt. He felt exposed, and suddenly wished for his armor. He gave a nervous swallow, until he heard the sound that must have woke him. It was footsteps, outside of his tent. They steps were too light to be men moving about in the night.

_Where are my guards_? He thought quickly to himself. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. Whatever was out there was moving towards the front of his tent. He moved beside the entrance and waited quietly, until finally the figure made its way into the entrance. The person was barely a foot inside when Robb grabbed them from behind and pressed the back of the dagger against their throat.

He was shocked when he heard a very feminine sequel. He pulled the hood back off of the person, and immediately recognized the green eyes and the soft blonde hair.

"Naeva." He said immediately. He felt his tension ease, and his face soften. He removed the blade from her throat and let go of her.

She was dressed in all black, and had hooded herself to hide her blonde hair, he was sure.

"What are you doing here? I could've killed you." He knew his voice sounded sharp. Honestly, he was happy to see her. Ever since he had left her home he had been regretting how they had parted. But the sharpness in his voice came over concern for her safety.

"I know. I'm sorry. But I had to see you." She replied. She removed the cloak from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Immediately Robb's eyes were drawn to her figure. The dress she wore was close fitting, and he could easily see the curves of her hips and her breasts.

"I didn't like what happened before you left." She explained.

_Neither did I_. He thought. _But I had to leave like that. I have a betrothed. If I could choose I would've chosen you_. He wanted to tell her this. But he didn't.

"It was for the best."

He turned his back on her and walked back towards the end table to place his dagger down. As he placed it down he lingered there. He heard her move behind him, and then he felt her hand on his arm.

He knew that he should shrug her off and tell her to leave, but he didn't. Instead he turned around to face her. "You should go." Was all he said. He kept his eyes downcast, so as not to meet her eyes. He knew if he looked at her, he would want her to stay.

"If you truly want me to go, then I'll leave." She said simply. "Just do me one thing. Look at me, and ask me to leave."

He hesitated for a moment, and then lifted his head to meet her eyes. He opened his mouth to say the words, but then immediately shut it. As he met her eyes, he was certain that there wasn't anything that he wanted so bad as he wanted her.

And then a coy smile played about her lips, and he knew that his face had betrayed him. She closed the distance between them with one step, and placed her hands against his chest. His shirt was thin, and he easily felt the warmth of her hands against his chest.

He lifted his hand to push her hair over her shoulder, but then he hesitated for only a moment before he placed both of his hands on her hips.

"We can't." He whispered softly to her.

But she only shook her head. "We can."

She went on her toes, and pressed her lips against his. She pulled away, and met his eyes, searching for a reaction. It didn't take him very long to react.

He immediately went in for a second kiss, and pulled her body towards his own. Her touch sent a fire through him, and he realized that he wanted more. He slid one hand up to her back, and tugged on the string lacing her dress up.

"Your Grace!"

Robb Stark woke with a start. He looked to his left to see his squire standing dutifully be his bed.

"Sorry, your grace. I didn't mean to startle you. You wouldn't wake."

Robb was confused for a moment, but then he remembered. He had been having the same dream about Naeva since they had left her keep five days ago. Luckily tonight, the full dream did not occur. In the full version of the dream, he did a lot more than kiss Naeva.

"It's fine, Olyvar. Go find me some breakfast."

The boy nodded and quickly dashed out of the tent.

Robb let out a massive sigh and ran his hands through his hair, before getting out of bed to dress. He had thought that once he had left, Naeva would fade from his mind. Apparently not. So long as she kept appearing in his dreams, it was clear that he would not forget her any time soon.

The morning he had left, Lord Fortescue and his wife had seen him depart, along with the two youngest Foretescue children.

"Naeva regrets she is not here to see you off." Lord Fortescue told him. "She has become ill. She did, however, tell me to say that she wishes you well in your campaign."

Robb had thanked Lord Fortescue, and then set off. He didn't want to take Naeva's failure to say goodbye personally, but it couldn't really be helped.

_What did you expect?_ He thought bitterly. _You rejected her_.

_I had to_. He reminded himself. _I'm engaged. I have a war to fight. I don't need to be thinking about a woman. _He found it almost humorous that exactly that he didn't need to be thinking about was what was always on his mind.

He had to remind himself constantly that it was only lust he felt for the girl. After all, it couldn't be anything more. They hardly knew each other. As much as he had enjoyed talking to her, it certainly wasn't enough to be anything more than a crush. An apparently heady, and lust-filled crush.

The night he had the first dream, he knew that he couldn't return to her keep. The next day, he had told his lords that after they had tended to the force at Lannisport, they would return to Riverrun. If he stayed away from her, eventually the girl would disappear from his dreams, and soon after he wouldn't be able to recall her face. Then, he could return to his Frey bride, be married, and that would put an end to any thoughts he may have about other women.

_Unless this Frey bride looks anything like the other Freys_. He thought bitterly.

If he had his own choice, he would not have chosen a Frey, by any means. Would he have chose Naeva? His sleeping mind seemed to think so, but his wakeful mind wasn't sure. He was a king now. Any marriage he made would have to be a strategic one. _Maybe before all of this, it would have been different_.

Robb was no sooner dressed when Olyvar appeared with food. He thanked him, and began to eat. A few minutes later, Grey Wind appeared, his muzzle bloodied. Robb assumed the wolf had found a rabbit or something to hunt.

Robb tried to eat, but succeeded only in pushing his food around. He was still feeling distracted. _Just give it time. _He encouraged himself. _You'll forget what she even looked like_.

….

AIDEN

Aiden woke up groggily to the sound of Cadby and Marlon arguing outside of the tent. His head was pounding from drinking too much the night before, and his stomach was roiling.

"You greedy bastard!" Cadby was shouting at Marlon. "I told you, that piece was for me!"

"You walked away from it. So I took it." Came Marlon's smart response.

Cadby shouted something else out at Marlon, but Marlon was shouting too, making either response unintelligible.

Aiden squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples, trying to make the throbbing in his head go away. But when he opened his eyes again, his head didn't hurt any less. He let out a heavy sigh, and went to stretch. But then a sleepy voice spoke, and Aiden froze.

"You're finally awake."

Aiden looked to his right, and tried to hide the surprise on his face.

The woman next to him seemed very pleased, her smile sleepy and her hair tousled. Her hair was a mousy brown color, and her eyes were brown to match. She had a sheet covering her, but considering that Aiden was naked, he was guessing that she was too.

_Gods, why can't I remember her name?_

"I'm finally awake." He answered with a smile whilst he racked his brain to try and remember the events of the night before.

The woman beside him took that response as liberty to cuddle up next to him. She rested her head on his chest and traced small circles on his abdomen.

"Joelle." He finally said, very pleased with himself for remembering.

The woman immediately stopped tracing small circles on his stomach and pulled her head away from him. "It's Jodi." She replied, some ice in her voice.

"Jodi! I knew that, I was just messing with you." Aiden immediately replied. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Jodi. I'm having some trouble remembering what happened last night." The woman just gave him a cold stare in response.

"But, I'm guessing since you're still here, I probably didn't pay you, right?"

The pounding in Aiden's head tripled after she slapped him across the face.

The woman gave an indignant huff afterwards and grabbed her clothes before storming half-naked out of the tent.

_This is turning out to be a wonderful start to my day_. Aiden thought bitterly. He removed himself from his bedroll and quickly pulled a shirt and a pair of breeches on. He did his best to clean himself up. He washed his face and hair in a bowl of water, and paused to check his appearance in an old mirror.

He was still good-looking, despite the slap and the hangover, he was pleased to see. Although, there was a nasty red mark beginning to appear on the right side of his face. Aiden tried to tame his hair by running his fingers through it, but it was beginning to get too long for that. His brown hair had grown at least an inch since he had set out south with the Young Wolf. And he was in desperate need of a shave. Before he started to dwell too long on how he looked, he slipped his boots on his feet, and walked out of the tent.

Cadby and Marlon had stopped arguing, but were giving each other sideways glares. It took them a moment before they noticed him. "Ah! Sleeping beauty is awake." Cadby proclaimed. Cadby was scrawny, with black hair that curled out of control and oily skin. At sixteen, he was the youngest of all of them. But he was good-natured and decent company.

"Yeah. I'm guessing that the woman that just ran out of our tent wasn't a whore, right?"

"No. Washerwoman. She met Nash when we were at the Fortescue keep. He told her he loved her, so she left with him. Obviously, it didn't work out. Why?" Marlon answered. Marlon was much better looking than Cadby, with his wavy blonde hair and perfect smile. But his looks gave Aiden and Cadby perfect opportunity to tease him about how he looked more like a singer than a fighter. He was the oldest of them at twenty-four, and was already married with a child on the way. Aiden was in the middle at twenty.

"No reason." Aiden responded quickly. "You wouldn't happen to know, however, how she got into our tent?"

"You invited her there." Marlon answered again.

"See?" Cadby grinned. "I told you he wouldn't remember a thing."

"How drunk was I?" Aiden asked.

"Pretty drunk." Marlon answered.

"Hey, at least the girl was decent looking. It could have been a lot worse." Cadby added.

Aiden shrugged in response before looking around. People were packing up everything, from cooking pots to tents. "Are we leaving already?" He asked them.

"Yeah. You know the Young Wolf. He likes to keep on the move." Cadby replied. "We've been waiting for your sleepy ass to get up so we could pack."

Aiden gave Cadby a shove before sitting down next to him and stealing bacon from his plate. He ignored the smaller boy's protests and ate anyway. "Let me eat. Then we'll get moving." Aiden said simply.

Cadby was grumbling to himself over the lost bacon, but Marlon merely shrugged and began cleaning anyway.

Aiden finished eating quickly enough, and then the three of them worked together to pack the tent they had been sharing. Marlon was a knight, but a hedge knight. All of them were Lord Umber's men, and as men of the North, none were knights. And the three of them didn't have enough wealth to be able to afford anything fancy. It was better to share one tent than sleep out in the open.

They were almost completely done packing when the Young Wolf rode by them with his lords in tow, signaling the beginning of the column.

"You know, Nash was saying last night that the Young Wolf got with that girl from the keep we were just at. The Fortescue girl." Marlon stated simply.

"Nash talks too damn much." Aiden replied.

"I don't get what all the hype is about her." Cadby said, ignoring Aiden's remark. "I saw her, while we were there. She did not match up to the song about her at all. She didn't even have blonde hair like the song said. Her hair was brown."

"You idiot, that was her sister." Marlon snapped at Cadby.

"How do you know?" Cadby snapped right back. "Have _you_ seen her?"

"No, I haven't." Marlon growled. "He did though." Marlon pointed accusingly at Aiden.

Cadby looked taken aback. "Why didn't you tell me you saw her?"

"I'm telling you now." Aiden answered.

"Where did you even see her?" Cadby continued.

"I had to get something wine for Lord Umber before we left." Aiden replied simply.

"Is she as pretty as that song says?" Once they had gotten near the Fortescue keep, a singer had turned up that knew this song about the eldest Fortescue daughter. Cadby had been all excited after that, and had promised that he was going to meet the girl.

Aiden didn't have a hard time recalling the girl. He had been walking towards the kitchens after getting lost several times when he saw her. He had been by the yard when he had seen her. She had been standing alongside of a yard where a young boy had been training. King Robb had been standing by her side. The girl had blonde hair and fair skin. Aiden remembered nearly stopping in his tracks when he saw her.

"Yes, she's as pretty as the song says." He answered.

"So. Do you think he took her?" Cadby pressed.

Aiden shook his head and smirked. "He wouldn't look so fucking grim all the time if he had."

…

Aiden had grown used to war quickly. Constant traveling, miserable weather and of course, the battles. He had been terrified when they first set out. Being one of Lord Glover's men, he had been in the vanguard. And had survived. After the Whispering Wood he had moved out of the Vanguard, thankfully. He was certain that this had increased his lifespan significantly.

Tonight, he would be going in just after the vanguard. After marching for days, they had finally neared the Lannister force that was just a few days march from Lannisport.

His horse was pawing at the ground and snorting impatiently. Aiden, however, was more nervous than impatient. He didn't like this attacking-under-cover-of-darkness business. It made it hard to see the ground in front of him, which meant that it was more likely for his horse to fall. And Aiden didn't feel like being thrown from his horse tonight.

The Lannister force didn't seem to have a clue about what was going to occur. Their camp was mostly asleep, it seemed. But they had plenty of fires lit, so for the initial attack they wouldn't be able to see very far away.

Aiden saw a grey mass separate from the rest of the army, and head towards the camp. _That'll be Grey Wind_. He thought. A few figures slunk along with the wolf. He knew they would be cutting the horses' lines.

They waited a few more minutes, looking over the camp. Just as it began to rain, they heard the horses scream.

As their shrills of terror ran through the air, the vanguard moved forwards towards the camp. And when they descended upon the camp, men's voices began to add to the clamor.

Aiden shook his hair out of his face. It was beginning to stick now that the rain was pouring down. He was boiled leather, light chainmail, and no helmet. He hated metal helmets. The limited vision drove him insane. He also hated the heavy weight of armor. He liked being quick more than he liked the extensive protection.

Marlon was on his right, looking relaxed as usual. If he was scared, he never showed it for a second. Cadby, was a different story entirely. He was on Aiden's left, and he looked as though he was about to piss himself.

"You alright there, Cadby?" Aiden asked, raising his voice to be heard over the rain and screams.

Cadby nodded his head so minutely that Aiden wasn't entirely sure he had moved at all.

But whether or not Cadby was scared, it was their turn to move.

They charged into the Lannister camp, and Aiden encouraged his horse forward. He heard the screams of two men that had been trampled before he had to take a swing at a man.

The fool came running forward, mostly unarmored with a pathetic-looking longsword. It took Aiden only moments to strike him down. But while he was distracted, another man came forth, wielding a torch. He swung the fire at Aiden's horse, and the horse reared up. Aiden was unprepared, and slid backward off. He hit the ground hard, and gasped desperately for air. The man with the torch was coming at him again, but he was heavily armored. Aiden quickly shuffled to his feet and faced the man across from him. The man was wielding a torch in one hand, a sword in the other.

_No shield_. Aiden thought quickly. The man swung at Aiden, but his armor made him slow, and Aiden's lack of armor made him quick enough to get out of the way. He avoided several more swings, and began to notice that the man was tiring. The man gave one final lunge towards Aiden, and he sidestepped quickly, but then hit his pommel hard on the man's back. The hit didn't hurt him, but it was enough to send him to the floor, which was all Aiden needed.

The man rolled over quickly, but didn't bring his sword up quick enough to block Aiden's strike. Aiden stabbed down on the man, right between where his helmet ended and the breastplate began. There was a sickening squelching sound and a strangled scream, and then nothing. Aiden yanked his sword out of the man's neck and wheeled around quickly, looking for another fight.

After the seventh man, he stopped counting how many he had killed. One had given him a nice cut on his upper arm, and the right side of his face ached from where someone had punched him, but he continued. He turned around to look for another opponent, when he saw the Young Wolf in the midst of the fighting.

Aiden instinctively glanced around to see where his guards were, but there were none_. Is he fighting alone? _Aiden immediately wondered. He was currently engaged with one Lannister man, and it seemed everyone around him was otherwise occupied.

But then, Aiden saw a great beast of a man coming forward. He was big and ugly, with a crushed nose and a bald head. There was blood splattered all across his face, and he carried an axe instead of a sword. He was wearing light armor, similar to what Aiden was wearing. And he seemed to realize that the Young Wolf could be double-teamed.

The man charged forward, knocking one of the Greatjon's men aside as though he were only a doll. _He's going to kill him_. Aiden realized suddenly. _Oh, fuck_.

Aiden rushed through the clamor of the battle as best as he could, but realized he wasn't going to make it in time to cut off the massive man. He felt panic rise in his chest, and he yelled. "Your Grace, behind you!"

The Young Wolf paused in his fight and glanced backward. He raised his sword just in time to halt the giant man's axe from cleaving him in half. But the force of the blow combined with the slippery terrain beneath his feet knocked him to the ground.

Aiden continued to shove his way through the battle. The man with the axe was looming over the Young Wolf, as was the man who had been fighting with him moments before. The Young Wolf was dodging their blows as best as he could from the ground, but it wasn't an easy position.

Aiden got there just as the man was raising his axe for another strike. He rushed in and hit the man in the stomach as hard as he could with the pommel of his blade, and when the man bent over, he hit him in the nose, breaking it. The man let out a frustrated yell, and Aiden turned his attention to the much skinnier and heavily armored man that the King had been fighting before. The man swung his blade at Aiden, but he parried the blow and the man took a step back. Aiden was about to swing again, when a mass of grey came out of nowhere and leapt on the man. The man screamed as the wolf tore at his face, and Aiden quickly reached down to pull the King back to his feet.

The two of them faced the huge man, who had finally started seeing straight after Aiden had broken his nose. He swung furiously at them, but both Aiden and the King dodged. Aside. The big man swung at Aiden again, but as Aiden blocked the attack the Young Wolf swung at the man and opened a gash in his belly. The man cried out in pain, and the King silenced him by driving his sword down into the man's shoulder.

They fought back to back after that, for what seemed like hours. But Aiden couldn't really be sure. The sky had been dark when they had started, and was still dark and covered with clouds when it ended. Aiden was panting and covered in blood, some of it his own, most of it his enemies. He was soaking wet, and when his last enemy before him fell, exhaustion and pain fell on him quickly.

He turned to face the Young Wolf, and from the look on his face, Aiden guessed that he probably felt like shit too.

There was silence for a few moments before the King spoke. "You saved my life." He said simply.

Aiden wasn't really sure what to say, so he kept silent.

"What's your name?" The King asked.

"Aiden Seys." Aiden answered quickly. "I'm one of Lord Glover's men."

The King nodded. "From now on, you'll be one of my men. Consider it a promotion."

"Where am I getting promoted to?" Aiden questioned.

"My personal guard."

…

A/N: Tell me how you liked it! By the way, I picture Aiden as being played by Ben Barnes if anyone was curious. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Ambush

AIDEN

Aiden was enjoying the perks associated with being in King Stark's personal guard. He enjoyed better food, better whores, better housing, and he got to ride at the front of the column. It was nice to see Westeros before it was trampled by the coming army. However, Aiden wished that he could have gotten to see Westeros without the war. Often times they would come across ransacked villages and dead bodies. It wasn't necessarily something that Aiden wanted to see.

They were on their way back to Riverrun. King Stark had made the decision to bypass the Fortescue's and march straight back to riverrun. Aiden was eager to get back and stop marching. He would've appreciated a break at the keep, but orders were orders, and he obeyed.

Aiden was surveying the tree line in the distance when he heard his name being called by the king. He turned his head in response, and rode towards him.

"Your Grace?"

"Aiden, go ahead and see if you can't find our scouts. It's been too long since we heard from them."

Aiden nodded in response, and urged his horse, Joker, forward towards the treeline.

He rode for a while before he came upon the trees, and encouraged his horse forward into the forest. The horse was hesitant, pricking his ears and snorting unhappily, but eventually he did as he was told. Aiden patted the Joker on the neck, trying to soothe him. It was unusual for him to be so uneasy. He supposed it was possible that the horse didn't like being away from the group, but that in itself seemed unlikely. He was riding a destrier, after all.

The horse walked along the road through the forest, and Aiden kept his eyes and ears open for anything that might show him where their scouts were or where they had gone. He walked along the road for a while before he came across a part of the forest that seemed as though it had recently been squished down. He turned his horse towards the path that had been cleared, and encouraged him forward. When the horse snorted and refused to go in, Aiden let out an annoyed sigh and gave Joker a small nudge. The horse shook it's mane and took several steps back, neighing in alarm. "What has gotten into you?" Aiden asked the horse. He patted its neck again until the horse's breathing slowed, and then urged him forward. This time, the horse complied.

They walked along the makeshift path for a little bit, until they came upon a small clearing. In the clearing there was a horse tied to one of the trees. The saddle and bridle on the horse were compact and lightweight, like something that a scout might use to ride, as opposed to the larger, sturdier saddle that Aiden used on Joker. The horse had been tied up for a while, it seemed. The ground around the horse had been trampled down as though he had been moving around there for a while. Aiden dismounted and tied Joker next to the other horse before going to inspect the area around the clearing. It didn't take him long to find a space that seemed like it had been disturbed recently. It was much smaller than the path that had led him to the clearing, so he concluded that this path had been made by a person.

He followed the path, until he noticed something disconcerting. There were spots of blood on the ground, and some blood on the branches beside the path. He followed the trail of blood with a new sense of urgency, until he finally came upon a man injured and laying at the base of a tree. He immediately recognized him as one of their scouts, and knelt beside the man. "What happened?" Aiden asked him urgently. There was an arrow protruding from the man's side and shoulder, and blood had completely soaked his shirt. "A… Am…" The man attempted to form words, but he was shaking and blood was beginning to show on his lips. "Ambush." He finally managed to whisper. No sooner had he said the words, than the light faded from his eyes and breath vanished from his body.

After hearing the words, Aiden suddenly felt the woods around him grow darker and more menacing. He became aware that there was no sound being made in the woods, not even the chirping of birds. Aiden quickly rose to his feet, and began to move back the way he had come. He had only taken a few steps, before he heard an all too familiar hissing noise. Immediately, Aiden flung himself to the ground, just in time to avoid the arrow that was now imbedded in a tree trunk. Immediately, he was grateful that for his light armor that enabled him to move so quickly. After that, he stood and began sprinting through the forest back towards the way he had come. He heard the sound of arrows whizzing through the trees, but luckily the forest was too dense and none of the arrows hit him. Not too far ahead, Aiden heard the sound of his horse neighing in alarm.

He burst into the clearing, and there were three men attempting to steal the two horses that were tied up. Neither of the horses was having any part of it, and Joker was putting up an awful fight. As soon as Joker caught sight of Aiden, he let out a triumphant whinny, and kicked one of the men square in the stomach. The other two men noticed Aiden, and one came charging at him, sword drawn.

Aiden pulled his own sword from his sheath, and met the other man's blade with a loud clang. Aiden dodged several heavy blows from the other man, and as soon as he got his opportunity, he buried his blade deep in the other man's belly.

As he was pulling his sword out of the man's stomach, he noticed the other man, who had notched an arrow in a bow and was about to shoot. Alarmed, Aiden yanked the man he had just killed in front of him right as the archer had loosed an arrow. Aiden's human shield worked, and the arrow buried itself in the man's back. As the archer was notching another arrow, Aiden noticed the daggers on the belt of the man he had killed, and yanked one out and threw it at the archer. Aiden wasn't much for throwing knives, and the blade didn't hit anywhere close to where he was aiming, but did find its mark in the leg of the other man. The archer cried out in pain, and dropped the arrow he was preparing, giving Aiden enough time to rush him and finish him quickly. As soon as both men were dead, Aiden cut the lines on the two horses, and swung up onto Joker's back. He kicked the horse, and Joker didn't need any more encouragement to get out of there. The horse took off into the trees, in the direction of the road. It was only a few seconds before they found the road, and Aiden turned Joker in the direction of the army. _I have to warn them!_ He thought urgently as he charged through the forest. Aiden burst from the trees minutes later, and saw the column proceeding along, unaware of the threat. "Ambush!" Aiden began yelling at them. The distance between them was too great, and he was sure that they couldn't hear him. He kept yelling his warning and galloping forward, though, in the hopes they would at least be prepared for what was about to happen.

The column must've figured something was wrong, because they halted. But no sooner had they halted, than the ambush burst forth from the treeline, several hundred feet away from Aiden. The attackers were all wearing very little armor, and their horses had light saddles on. They moved toward the column more quickly than Aiden could. The ambush met the column before Aiden did, and he could only watch as the two groups of soldiers collided. It was only a minute before he was able to burst into the fray, and he immediately began to attack the soldiers around him. Within minutes, however, the fighting had completely stopped, and they had slain all those that had attacked. Aiden spun Joker around to look around at the damage. It seemed as though none of their men were killed. However, many men bore injuries. _Why would they attack like that? It was a suicide mission. _Aiden questioned as he looked around at all of the fallen enemies. He began looking around for the King, and noticed a large group gathering. He urged Joker towards the group, and dismounted when he got closer. As he made his way towards the center of the group, a feeling of dread began to creep into his stomach.

_Oh no._ He thought urgently as he got closer. Lying in the center of the gathered people, was their King, an arrow protruding from his shoulder. _It was never an ambush. This was meant to be an assassination. _Blood was beginning to gather beneath him, and the Lords were discussing urgently what to do. "If we press on to Riverrun, we could be there in just over three days." One lord was suggesting.

"Look at him!" Another Lord yelled. "He won't last three days on the road. We have to get him to a maester. The Fortescue's are less than a day's march away, and they have a maester."

"He's right." The King spoke, his voice strained. "I won't make it to Riverrun. We have to go to the Fortescue keep."

"You heard the King!" One of the Lord's yelled. "Turn the column around! We march West!"

…

NAEVA

Naeva was deep in sleep when the clanging of bells woke her up. Startled, she sat straight up in her bed, out of breath. She quickly stood and raced over to her wardrobe, where she grabbed an outer layer to tie over her under-shift. After she had finished tying the layer, she slipped on some shoes, grabbed her cloak, and ran out of her room. Once she was in the halls, she raced down the hall toward her sisters bedroom. Her sister was dressed as well, and was staring out of her window towards the land outside the keep. Her sister's room had the view that Naeva's lacked.

When she looked outside the walls, she couldn't see much, but the movement of a large group of people towards their keep. She held her sister's hand, unsure of what was happening, or if they were going to be attacked.

"Come, lets go get a better look." She told her sister, and she pulled the other girl toward the door. The two of them raced out of the room and toward the battlements. When they reached the battlements, Naeva asked one of their men what was going on. "The Young Wolf is returning." The man responded. _In the middle of the night? _She thought to herself. It was certainly unusual.

She went down into the courtyard, and her sister followed closely behind her. Her father was already in the courtyard with her mother. They waited in the courtyard, no one saying anything, until the gates were raised for a lone rider who was ahead of the coming march.

"Lord Fortescue." The rider stated as he rode in through the gates. He dismounted off of the destrier he was riding and approached her father. He was young, but not as young as Naeva. He had long brown hair, and it looked as though he was extremely tired. Despite the exhaustion on his face, Naeva would have still called him handsome. _I wonder how long they've been marching?_ Naeva thought to herself.

"My name is Aiden Seys. I'm part of King Robb's personal guard. We were attacked, the King is severely injured." The man continued.

At his words, Naeva looked urgently to her father.

"I understand. Bring him in, the Maester will be ready when King Robb comes in." Her father answered.

The man nodded and turned back to mount his horse, and then rode back out of the gates. Her father immediately began barking orders to those in the keep, who all acted quickly in response to him. "Naeva." Her father stated, turning towards her. "Go find Maester Illum." Naeva nodded in response, and set off to find the Maester. It didn't take her very long to find him, and she quickly relayed the information back to him.

"Well then." The older man responded. "We don't have much time." Naeva quickly followed the Maester and helped him prepare a room for the King. They had just finished their preparations when the sound of men's voices came from down the hall. Naeva quickly moved to the side of the room to allow those who were carrying the King to enter. When they set him on the bed, he cried out in pain, and Naeva felt her heart wrench.

"Out of the way!" Maester Illum yelled to the men who had carried him in. Amongst them, Naeva recognized the man that had told them the news of the kings injury. "I need room to work!"

When all the men had cleared away, Naeva finally got to see the King. He was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. His eyes appeared glassy and he was panting heavily. Protruding from his shoulder was the broken shaft of an arrow. At the sight of the wound, Naeve felt her stomach roil.

"We weren't sure if we should remove the arrow." One of the men explained.

"It's better you didn't." Maester Illium replied. "If we act quickly, he may still live. We need to get the arrow out of his shoulder. Naeva, give me the wine-skin."

Naeva quickly found the wine-skin they had brought in and handed it to the Maester. "Drink." He ordered the King. King Robb stared at the Maester and the skin incredulously for a moment, but then did as he was told. "Drink all of it, if you can boy. It'll help with the pain."

King Robb drank all of it, but as soon as he did, he went back to being unsettled and panting. "The fever is making him delirious." Maester Illium stated. "We need to work quickly. Give me something for him to bite on."

Naeva passed the Maester a cloth they had brought, which the Maester then rolled and then order the king to bite on. The King did as he was told, and then the Maester ordered a man to hold the King down. Naeva turned away as the Maester reached for the arrow in the King's shoulder. It was only a few seconds before she heard the King's muffled screams, and then silence. When she looked back over, the arrow was on the bedside table, and the King was passed out.

"Is he alright?" Naeva asked anxiously.

"He's passed out from the pain. I can stitch him up now, and we'll have to see. If he makes it through tonight, he should live." Maester Illum glanced back at Naeva, and looked taken aback when he saw her face. "Goodness, girl, I apologize." Maester Illum stated. "I shouldn't have let you see this." Naeva was sure all of the color had drained from her face, and that she must look sick. "Go, girl. Be with your family. I will tell you all what happened here later."

Naeva didn't need any further encouragement, and headed for the door. Before she left, she chanced a glance back at the king. _May the Gods watch over you. _She thought briefly in her head.

…..

Naeva had been in her parent's room for some time before the Maester came with news about the King.

"He will live." He declared. "However, we will need people to stay with him almost all the time for the next couple of days." He glanced over at Naeva before he spoke again. "You helped me when I was first treating him. You should be more than capable."

"My daughter would be honored to take care of the King." Naeva's mother was quick to say.

"So be it." The Maester replied. "There are other injured that I need to tend to." With that, the Maester departed the room and Naeva stood to go return to the King.

…..

ROBB

Robb didn't remember much after he had been shot by the arrow. Hours after receiving the injury, he began to float in and out of consciousness due to the fever. He barely remembered arriving at the Fortescue keep, and then being tended by the Maester there. And constantly, swimming in his mind were images of Naeva.

When Robb finally woke, he was laying on a soft feather bed, and light was streaming through a window. He no longer felt feverish, and when he glanced at his shoulder there was only a neat bandage there as opposed to the shaft of an arrow. He tried to sit up, but immediately cried out in pain and slumped back down.

"Careful, your grace." Came a feminine voice from the other side of him.

He focused his vision and immediately recognized Naeva. She was as beautiful as ever, with her long flowing blonde hair and her soft skin. His dreams of her hadn't even come close to the real thing.

"Naeva." He spoke out loud. He hadn't meant to, but his surprise at seeing her had let the words slip.

She smiled at him softly, and moved forward to push his hair out of his eyes. "I'm glad you're finally awake. You've been asleep for almost two days now."

"Have you been looking after me all this time?" He asked her.

She nodded in response, tucking one strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes. Maester Illum has been busy tending for everyone else who was injured, so he couldn't spend all of his time here. He asked me to keep an eye on you."

Robb nodded in understanding, then tried to sit up again. This time Naeva helped him, and propped pillows up behind him so he could sit up. It was painful to get there, but he felt much better once he was finally sitting up. He noticed he was shirtless, but didn't bother to make the effort to re-cover himself.

"Thank you. For keeping an eye on me." He said to Naeva.

"Of course." She responded immediately.

Silence was carried between them for a moment, before Robb spoke up again. "The last time we saw each other-" He began.

"Don't worry about it." Naeva replied. "You have so many more things to worry about than me."

Robb nodded in response, and then the room was silent again. A few minutes passed, and then Naeva spoke.

"You had a dress made for me." She stated. "I received it from the tailor after you left."

"I told you I was going to replace the dress." Robb replied. After he had nearly kissed Naeva on the battlements, he had made up his mind to have a new dress commissioned for her. He gave the tailor explicit directions to not go to measure her until after he had left. He seemed the woman had listened.

"Thank you." Naeva replied. "It's the most beautiful thing I own."

Robb nodded, "It was nothing."

The rest of the day continued with little communication between the two of them. Most of it was Robb drifting in and out of sleep, and when he was awake the two of them didn't speak very much, and Naeva busied herself by sewing or reading. Despite the silence, Robb couldn't help but to feel happy and content again, the way he had the last time he was with her. He could feel himself growing attached again, but this time he didn't try to fight it. He knew there was chemistry between him and Naeva. The only thing that mattered was that he didn't act on it, which he had no intention to do. He merely laid in his bed, enjoying the company of the woman he had missed, and focused on his recovery.

….

A/N: There's the end of chapter four! R&R, and let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Weirwood

ROBB

His recovery was a slow and painful process, eased only by the constant presence of Naeva. His arm was in a sling to stop him from moving too much, and as a result almost everything was much more difficult than it used to be. Stubborn as he was, he found that he needed Naeva's help more than he wanted to admit. He remembered the first time that he had been able to walk around the castle, Naeva had tried to help him stand and get his bearings. He had been so stubborn, he had insisted that he was fine and didn't need any assistance.

"Fine then." Naeva had said to him when he had stubbornly refused her help. "It should be enjoyable to watch you do this on your own." She had told him smartly.

Robb had shot her a glare, but then tried to stand on his own. He was unprepared for how unsteady his legs would be after spending days in bed, and quickly lost his balance. He tried to use his arms to balance, but forgot he didn't have use of one. He would've fallen over if Naeva hadn't grabbed his working arm to make sure he didn't fall.

"See?" She had told him after he had nearly fallen.

"Yes, I see." Robb replied, annoyed.

"No, you don't." She had countered. "You don't have to do this on your own. That's what I'm here for." She smiled at him softly, and Robb felt heat rising into his face. He had quickly urged for them to start walking, so he could hopefully avoid her noticing the color on his face.

He had been battling with himself over what she really meant by her statement. He couldn't decide if she meant that she would be with him for his recovery, or if she meant something more. As much as he tried not to dwell on it, he found his mind going back to her statement. He had a feeling that he was making more out of it because he wanted something else to be there.

He had been being lazy about not acting on the way he felt about Naeva. More often he found himself touching her. Nothing major, but brushing his fingertips against her, brushing past her. It was more than he should allow himself to do.

It had been almost a month since he had been injured, and he was no well enough healed to do most everything on his own. He didn't need Naeva to do anything anymore, which was disappointing to him, but he still found time to see her. When he had finally been able to walk again, they had gotten into the habit of taking a walk through the Godswood every afternoon. It helped him get his strength back, and prevented him from starting to feel cooped up in his room. Though he technically didn't need to walk every day now that he was almost completely healed, he still found time to do it.

It was almost an unspoken agreement the two of them would have. Late afternoon, they would meet in the Godswood. They would walk around, talk, or sit for about an hour, then go their separate ways. It was only an hour out of his day, but it was quickly becoming his favorite hour.

He made his way towards the godswood, wearing one of his nicer shirts and breeches. It had been getting chillier lately, so he had one of his lighter cloaks with him. He was sure Naeva would probably have something heavier. She wasn't used to the chill like he was.

He arrived in the Godswood first today, and sat on one of the stone benches to wait. Grey Wind jogged up to him as soon as he had sat, and placed his head happily in Robb's lap. Robb scratched the large wolf behind the ears and patted his head. A few minutes passed, before Grey Wind perked his ears up and trotted away from Robb back towards the castle. The wolf returned moments later, with Naeva walking beside him.

Robb's breath caught in his throat as soon as he saw her.

She was wearing the red dress he had had commissioned for her after Grey Wind had ruined one of her dresses. It laced up the front, with intricate scrollwork all along the lacings and the edges of the dress. The sleeves were made so that her shoulders were exposed, but then there was cloth covering her arms. As he had assumed, she was wearing a hooded cloak, red to match the dress.

He stood upon seeing her, and as she approached she did a small twirl from him, a smile apparent on her face. "Do you like it, your grace?" She questioned him, a coy smile on her lips. She must've noticed the look on his face when she walked up.

Robb cleared his throat before he spoke. "Yes. It's beautiful."

"I wanted to show it to you before you left." She said as she walked toward him.

Of course. He would be leaving soon, now that he was almost completely healed. The thought sobered him slightly. He knew he needed to get back on the war campaign, but he didn't really want to leave. He knew this would happen if he came back to the keep, but his injury had left him with no choice.

"I'm glad you did." Was all he said in response to her statement. She smiled at him again, but this time it was more of a sad smile. At least they both understood their predicament.

They began walking side-by-side through the godswood. Grey Wind didn't bother staying with them, he ran up ahead by himself.

They were walking close to one another, and Robb felt his arm brush hers several times. He pretended not to notice. If she noticed, she didn't say anything either. While he had been recovering, they had spent a large majority of their time together. It almost felt strange not seeing her as much as he used to. He knew he was going to miss her when he did have to go.

_It's for the best._ He reminded himself.

They finally arrived at the Weirwood in the center of the Godswood. The tree was eerily beautiful, as were all Weirwood's. The other day, Robb had been certain the face carved into the tree was sad, but today it looked more like it was mourning something. Or maybe the tree was just reflecting how he was feeling.

"It really is beautiful." Naeva observed as she got closer. "Eerie, but beautiful. Not to say that the Sept's for the new gods aren't beautiful too, but this is just different. I never feel as though I'm being watched when I'm in the Sept. I can't say the same for this place."

Naeva took a few steps ahead of Robb and removed the hood from her head. A breeze blew through the trees and blew her hair just slightly, and several leaves fluttered down around her.

A month ago he could've sworn his dreams didn't know any better, that he didn't want her to be his Queen. But as they stood in the Godswood, the breeze blowing her hair and leaves fluttering around her, he didn't think he could be more certain about who he wanted to be his Queen. But he had given up his right to choose. For a bridge.

Naeva turned to look at him, and smiled as she did so. Robb couldn't help but to smile back at her.

"What're you thinking about?" She questioned him.

"How beautiful you are." He responded back. He was surprised at his own response. He knew he shouldn't say things like that to her. But they were in the Godswood. If he couldn't be honest here, he couldn't be honest anywhere.

Naeva immediately flushed at his words and turned her gaze downward, a shy smile on her face. "Your grace is too kind." She responded.

Robb smiled slightly at her shy response. He was certain she was already well aware of her beauty, but she still reminded modest, at least in regards to him.

"I know what you mean." Robb stated, continuing their earlier conversation. He walked forward as he talked to Naeva, eventually coming to stand next to her. "My father built a Sept at Winterfell for my mother. I'd been inside it a few times, but it just wasn't the same compared to the Weirwood. I don't know how to explain it."

"Because it can't be explained." Naeva finished.

Robb turned to face Naeva, and the girl did the same to him.

"Naeva," Robb began, uncertain how to proceed. He cast his glance downward, and was surprised when he felt Naeva's hand slide into his own. They entwined their fingers, and he looked up into her face again.

He was at a loss for words. Her hair was still stirring just slightly against her pale skin, and her eyes met his with a fire behind him that he had yet to really see or understand.

"I understand." Naeva said to him. She squeezed his hand for a moment before continuing. "You have duties, responsibilities, honor. A whole army fights in your name. And I understand why. People believe in you and what you can accomplish. I would never want to come in the way of that."

Robb took Naeva's other hand and ran his thumb over the smooth skin on top of her hand. "If things were less complicated… " He began.

"If things were less complicated then we would have never met, and neither of us would be the people we are now." Naeva stated. "And above all else, I am happy to have met you."

"As am I." Robb stated. He knew that they would be leaving within the next two weeks to return to Riverrun. It was going to be very difficult to say goodbye.

"Perhaps it would be easier, if we didn't do this anymore." Robb suggested, his eyes downcast. The last thing he wanted was to put more distance between him and Naeva, but saying goodbye was just going to be more difficult if they continued on the way they were. He let his words sink in for a moment, before he returned his gaze back to her face.

Immediately, he wished he hadn't said the words. Naeva's eyes had become glassy, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. "No, of course." She said as soon as he looked back up. She removed her hands from him and took a step away, still refusing to meet his gaze. "That would be for the best." She turned away from him, stared back at the Weirwood and wrung her hands together.

Robb opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. This was for the best, and she knew it was as well. He looked at her a moment longer, and then turned away and began to walk back in the direction of the keep. He was only a few feet away when he heard his name called.

"Robb!"

He turned to look in Naeva's direction. It was her that had called out his name, which surprised him. He couldn't recall her using just his name before. She walked over to him quickly and met him face to face. They were only inches apart, and he met her eyes. "Naeva?" He asked her.

She placed one hand on his neck, her fingers just barely in his hair, and the other one on his chest. He looked at her with questioning eyes, and before he could speak again, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

He was shocked, and she pulled away from him before he really had time to react. She met his eyes again, and this time he didn't hesitate to react. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her towards him, and kissed her.

It was far better than any dream he could have ever had. Her lips were soft and perfect, and her touch made his skin tingle. Their kiss deepened, and Robb held her tightly against him. After several moments, they pulled away from each other, but maintained their close proximity.

"We shouldn't have done that." Robb said simply, his face still close to hers.

"We shouldn't have." Naeva agreed.

Robb kissed her again anyway.

…..

NAEVA

Naeva lost count of how many times they kissed before they finally separated from each other. Robb pressed his forehead against hers, and she smiled shyly before stepping away from him.

She had been surprised by her own boldness, when she had called him by his first name and then again when she had kissed him. But she couldn't go without knowing what it would have been like to kiss him. She knew it couldn't happen again. And it shouldn't happen again. She would keep herself separated, just like he had requested. But at least now they both knew.

Robb brushed her hair away from her face tenderly, and she caught his hand before he pulled away and kissed his palm. "I will do as you asked." She said simply. Robb looked at her, his blue eyes scanning her face for any hidden meanings. "But I had to know what it would have felt like."

He smiled at her in return. "I'm glad you did it."

She smiled, but her smile was tinged with sadness. It would be even harder to let him go this time. Especially when she knew that he would definitely not be returning. And that he would be marrying someone else.

"I really am glad to have met you, Naeva." Robb stated softly. "If things had been different… If I could have chosen, I would've chosen you."

"I know." Naeva said to him. "That's what matters."

With that, she took several steps back from him, and then turned away and walked back towards the keep. She had to fight herself in order to prevent herself from turning around. But this was the way it had to be, the way that would be best.

….

A/N: Aaah! Finally a kiss! R&R, tell me what you think of their decision to stay away from each other, and how well they'll actually be able to uphold their decision.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Dark Wings Dark Words

NAEVA

Naeva had been doing well on her promise to stay away from Robb Stark. She didn't go out of her way to find him, and he didn't go out of his way to find her. They weren't rude to one another, and didn't ignore one another. They merely acted as though nothing had ever happened. He was ever courteous, and referred to her always as 'milady'. It would be impossible for an outsider to discern what had happened between them in the Godswood.

Naeva knew, though, and that was enough. Her mother had originally been badgering her with questions about the King, but after several times of Naeva making it clear that nothing had happened between them and that nothing would, her mother's questions eventually faded away into frustrated silence.

It would only be a few more days until the King departed from their keep for good. She knew, this time, he wouldn't be returning. He would be departing for Riverrun, and after that, who knows where he would go. But she was certain if he could avoid it at all, he wouldn't come back to the keep.

Naeva had focused her time into being with her brother and her sister. If anything, she had learned from being with Robb how precious her family was to her.

Today, Naeva and her sister stood in the courtyard, and watched as their younger brother attempted to fend off their master-at-arms. As Naeva looked at him, she realized how old he was becoming. Soon he would be expected to become a squire. She could hardly imagine her brother charging into battle. But soon enough he would be doing just that.

And soon enough, Naeva was sure her life would be completely different. Winter was on its way. Soon, she would need to be married. In a matter of months, she might be in a completely different place, miles away from her siblings. The thought saddened her.

So many families had been torn apart by this war. She hated to think that her family could become one of them. But, they had switched sides in the middle of the war. She knew that until Robb won the war, her family would not be safe from the Lannisters. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Robb lost the war. She was sure that she and her family would need to do some scrambling in order to survive through all of this.

Naeva tried to push these dark thoughts out of her mind, but as her brother continued to play fight against their master-at-arms, the clanging of swords reminded her that there was still much more to come.

ROBB

Robb glanced to his left out the window where the sun was beginning to set. His head was pounding from making plans all day and staring at maps of Westeros. He moved toward the window and looked outside. Earlier, he had seen Naeva in the courtyard, watching her brother train. But she was gone now, probably eating dinner. He had been missing her every day since they had decided to stay apart. He found himself constantly reminding himself that it was better for everyone if they stayed apart.

Robb walked over to one of the chars placed next to the map and slumped down in it. They had decided they would depart in three days, now that Robb was well enough to travel, and head toward Riverrun. From there, they would decide where they should make their next move.

Robb was looking forward to returning to Riverrun. He would finally be able to see his mother again. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he missed her. He missed all of his family.

_At least Bran and Rickon are safe in Winterfell._ He thought to himself.

Robb reached for the pitcher of wine that was on the table, and poured himself some. He had just taken a sip of wine when he heard knocking on his door.

"Come in." He stated loudly so the person on the other side may hear him. The door swung open, and in walked the Greatjon, Olyvar, and Aiden. Each of their faces looked grim, and Robb immediately felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Your grace…" The Greatjon began. "There's been news. From Winterfell."

Robb sat up straighter in his chair, and eyed the Greatjon curiously. "Out with it then." He replied.

"Your grace… It seems Theon did not do as you asked. He joined his father, and they launched an attack on Winterfell."

Immediately, Robb felt anger flare up inside of him. He remembered the warning his mother had given him about Theon, and he began to feel foolish. _How could he? After everything we've been through together, after all my house has done for him._

"He's a fool. We'll deal with him." Robb answered, angrily.

"Your grace, there's more." The Greatjon continued. He took a letter out and handed it to Robb. "It's Bran and Rickon. Theon killed them."

Robb felt his heart drop, and a sick feeling enter his body. He stood and snatched the letter away from the Greatjon. His eyes read over the words, and the more he read, the sicker he felt.

_He killed them._ He thought over and over, his mind numb with shock. _Bran and Rickon are dead. Theon killed them. Theon killed my brothers. _

The Greatjon said something, but all Robb heard was ringing in his ears. He looked up at the three assembled before him. One of his lords, his squire, and his guard.

"Get out." Robb ordered them. He turned away from them and stalked toward the window, placing the letter on the table before he did so. The three men hesitated, and this time Robb raised his voice, his anger spilling over into his words. "Get out!" He barked at them again.

This time, they all bowed and quickly ushered themselves out of the room. Just before Olyvar exited the room, Robb called him back.

"Olyvar." He ordered. "Go and find Naeva for me. Bring her here."

"What should I tell her it's concerning?" Olyvar questioned.

"Just do as I say." Robb replied. His blood was pounding through his veins as anger coursed through him. "Tell her, I need her to come here."

Olyvar looked at Robb uncertainly, but nodded and exited the room.

As soon as he was alone, Robb pressed his head into his palms and tried to deal with the thoughts pounding through his head.

_They're dead. My brothers are dead. Theon controls Winterfell. Theon killed them. Bran and Rickon are dead._

Robb squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out what he was thinking. He didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want any of his lords to see him this way. As much as he knew he shouldn't, he wished that Naeva were already with him somehow.

NAEVA

Naeva was about to dress for bed when she heard a knock on her door. Immediately, her handmaiden made her way to the door and opened it. Naeva was surprised to see Olyvar, Robb's squire.

"Olyvar." She greeted the young boy kindly. "I must say I'm surprised to see you. Is there something I can help you with?"

"King Robb requests your presence in his chambers immediately." Olyvar stated to Naeva.

Naeva looked at Olyvar, confused. She and Robb had promised they wouldn't see each other. Why did he want her in his chambers?

"There must be some mistake. Are you sure this is what he asked of you?" Naeva questioned Olyvar. She noticed that the boy seemed unusually pale, and he seemed uneasy.

"Please, my lady." Olyvar asked her, a pleading tone in his voice.

Naeva, shocked by Olyvar's behavior and this odd request, merely nodded her head and proceeded out of the room with Olyvar. She followed behind the squire until they reached the room that Robb had been staying in. As usual, one of his guards was posted there. She recognized him as the man who had notified them when the king had returned injured to her keep. He moved aside as they approached, and Olyvar opened the door to allow her in.

She walked into the room, and Olyvar shut the door behind her. She looked around the room for Robb, and saw him, leaning on the wall, staring out of the window in his room. By now, it was dark. She wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.

She took a few steps toward him, and finally spoke. "Your grace?" She asked him. She didn't know why she had been summoned here, and was only becoming more confused by the minute.

"Read the letter on the table." Robb finally said. His voice was flat and dead. He didn't even turn to look at her as he spoke.

Naeva turned and walked toward the table in the center of the room. She picked up the letter that was lying there, and began to read it. The more she read, the more her heart sank and the more she understood Robb's behavior. _Bran and Rickon are dead._ She thought as she put down the letter. She had no idea what to say, or even how to comfort him. Robb's best friend had betrayed him, and now his brothers were dead.

"Robb…" Naeva began, uncertain of what to say that could possibly help him.

Robb turned away from the window, and walked over towards her. He walked up to the table and placed both his hands on it, and stared down, unseeing. She took a step toward him to attempt to comfort him, but jumped when in a flash he suddenly flung everything off the table in one smooth motion. Papers flew, and the metal wine pitcher flung across the room, clanging as it collided with the wall, and spilling the wine all over the room.

She stayed back from him, shocked by his sudden outburst of anger. Robb had always seemed level-headed to her. But she couldn't blame him. She couldn't even imagine the amount of grief he must be feeling.

"He killed them." Robb stated simply, still staring down at the table. "I trusted him, and he killed my brothers."

Naeva didn't know what to say. She could hardly believe the news herself. She could only watch in silence as Robb dealt with his grief.

He pushed himself away from the table and began pacing. Naeva looked at him as he paced, his brow furrowed, and jumped when he suddenly kicked one of the chairs that was near him. It fell over and clattered loudly, and Naeva shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. She had never seen Robb act like this. When she reopened her eyes, he was back across the room looking out the window again.

She walked toward him cautiously, preparing herself for another outburst. But his shoulders were sagging, and he looked defeated. When she got closer to him, he turned his head for a moment to look at her, but then turned away again and looked back outside. Naeva extended one of her hands forward, and gently touched Robb's arm. When he didn't respond, she pulled on his sleeve and turned him around to face her. He stood close to her, and met her gaze when she looked up at him. But his eyes reflected defeat and sorrow. There was no amount of destruction he could cause that would bring his brothers back to life.

Naeva brought one hand to his neck and the other to his chest as she looked at him. They stood like that for a moment, before Robb brought his hand up to cover hers, and closed his eyes. When he reopened his eyes, she removed her hand from his neck and took another step toward him. Immediately, his arms encircled her and he held her close to him. She wrapped her arms around him in turn, and he buried his face in her hair. They stood like that for a while, before Robb finally moved away from her. He walked back toward the table in the center of the room, and the mess around it that he had created in his grief.

"There was no way you could have known this was going to happen." Naeva said to him. He continued to walk across the room, and he sat in one of the chairs that he hadn't flipped over.

"My mother warned me not to trust him." Robb stated. "She knew what he really was."

"He betrayed your trust." Naeva responded. "He was your friend. No one is at fault but him."

Robb didn't respond, and Naeva found herself at a loss. She didn't know how she was supposed to comfort him.

She crossed the room to him again, and stood before him. "Robb, this isn't your fault."

"How is it not my fault?" Robb retorted. Naeva was surprised at the anger in his voice, but she was happy that she was at least eliciting a response from him.

"I trusted Theon. I sent him off. I left them there alone and he took advantage of it." Robb responded.

"Theon is the only one who can be blamed for your brothers' death." Naeva insisted to him.

Robb merely shook his head in response. "I started this war to put my family back together, and to get revenge for my father. How can I possibly do any of that when I can't even keep the family I still have safe? How am I supposed to convince thousands of men to put their faith in me, when I can't even keep my own home safe from intruders?"

"Your men love you." Naeva responded to him. "You're a great leader. This was an unexpected blow from someone you thought you could trust."

Robb merely shook his head, and Naeva knew there would be no convincing him otherwise right now. He needed time to cope with what had happened.

Naeva walked behind Robb and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. There wasn't much she could say right now to make him feel better, but hopefully her presence would comfort him some.

Robb lifted one of his hands in return to her gesture and placed it on top of hers. They were silent for a while, before Robb finally spoke. "Thank you, Naeva. For coming." He said softly. But he didn't move, he just stayed holding her hand. "Of course." She replied.

Naeva took that as her signal to go, and so she slid her hands from his shoulder and walked away from the king toward his door. She was surprised when she heard him move out of his chair suddenly and felt him tug on her hand. She turned to face him, a look of surprise on her face. In one step, Robb closed the space between them. He placed his hands on her hips, and Naeva placed hers on his chest in response. He used his fingers to push her hair behind her neck before he spoke to her.

"I don't know what's going to happen in this war." He stated to her simply. "So many have died. So many more will die. I might be one of them."

"Don't speak this way." Naeva scolded him. He needed to keep what optimism he had. He had a whole army, and would need to do everything he could to keep morale up.

"I don't want to have any regrets." He said immediately after she had spoken.

Naeva looked at him, surprised. Suddenly, she felt her face flush and her body grow hot as she understood what he was saying to her. She immediately cast her eyes downward, nervous and unsure of what to say.

Finally she mustered up the courage to speak. "Is that what you say to all your women?" She asked him, attempting to sound bold. The last thing she wanted was to be used by a King.

She felt Robb's fingertips under her chin and she lifted her head to look at him. "Never." He replied. "I love you, Naeva."

Naeva felt her heart skip a beat. She was shocked, but inside of her she felt the familiar soothing warmth she had felt since she had first met him. She met his eyes evenly, and knew he wasn't lying to her. They had been through a lot together. If he had been planning on using her, he would have done so already. And no one in the castle had seen or heard anything about him going after women.

She loved him too. She knew she did, and she had known for a while. All of the time she had spent with him while he recovered, all of the walks they had gone on, all of their talking. At some point she had fallen in love.

"I love you too." She replied easily. A smile formed on her lips, which only grew when she saw him smile at her in return. Without hesitation, Robb kissed her, and she kissed him back. They kissed again, and again. And before Naeva knew it, she felt a tug on the strings of her dress, and felt the fabric come loose.

Sunlight was streaming through the window when Naeva awoke the next morning. She squinted her eyes to the light, and tried to wake herself up more. She was in an unfamiliar room. And then the events of the previous night came flooding into her mind.

She became aware of the warmth of another person beside her, and realized his arm was wrapped around her waist. She then realized she was naked, and that he must be also. Then the sorenesss came.

She was sore in places she had never been sore before, and immediately knew the reason why. She looked over her shoulder at Robb, who was sound asleep still. His breath came in slow, deep breaths, and he looked completely relaxed and content. She didn't want to disturb him. She lowered her head back to the bed, but that must have been enough to disturb his sleep.

He stirred slightly, then opened his eyes and blinked several times before he looked at her. As soon as he had focused on her, his arm tightened around her waist and pulled her closer to him before burying his head in her shoulder. She laughed as his beard tickled her neck and rolled over to playfully push him away.

She laid on her stomach and looked at him, while he propped himself up on his side. He extended his arm toward her and pushed the covers off of her back before he began to run his fingertips down her back. She smiled at him and bit her lip, trying to fight off the tickling feeling she was getting.

He laid his hand to rest on her back, and looked at her softly. "You're so beautiful."

"You're too kind." She responded to him.

He smiled and looked at her with a thoughtful look on his face for a while before he finally spoke.

"I don't want to marry the Frey girl." He murmured quietly.

"I don't want you to either." Naeva responded.

Robb was silent again for a moment. He began to trace small circles on her back before he spoke again.

"Marry me."

Naeva couldn't believe her ears. She stared at him, shocked, and opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking. "Robb-" She stammered. "You're engaged. You made an oath."

"Aye, I said some words." He responded. "But I never thought that this would happen. I never thought my brothers would be dead. There isn't enough time to waste years of it with a girl I don't know or love when I could spend those years with you."

"If I marry you… The Frey's will be offended. Think of your campaign." She responded. "I don't have to marry you, Robb. Take me with you, make me your mistress. But don't sacrifice your honor."

Robb shook his head and rolled onto his back. "I love you, Naeva. How honorable is it that I would keep you around as a mistress? I marry a woman I don't love, have children with her. They will be the trueborn children, the one's that would get my lands, my titles. And you, and your children. The woman I really love will have to sit back and watch as another woman's children take what should be yours." He paused again. "There's no honor in marrying one woman and sleeping with another." He finally stated. "No one wins."

Naeva moved toward him in the bed and laid her head on his chest. As she did, his arms almost immediately encircled her. She let out a sigh and nuzzled her head against his chest. She felt his fingers gently brush her hair, and she closed her eyes in contentment. She knew what she should say to Robb, but she knew he wouldn't listen. In his eyes, he had broken his oath when he had welcomed Naeva into his bed. There was no going back. Stark men were honorable. To sleep with Naeva and then not marry her was a crime in his eyes. And she understood his reasoning as well. It would tear at Naeva every day to see another woman by his side, even if he didn't care for her half as much.

She turned to look at Robb, and adjusted herself so that she could kiss him softly. She ran one hand through his hair and met his eyes before she spoke. "Of course I will marry you."

A/N: Well, tell me what you think! That's the end of chapter six, and in our next chapter there will be a wedding!

For all of you that watch Game of Thrones on HBO, how crazy was the Red Wedding episode? Ahhh! I already knew it was coming because I read the books, but it was still heartbreaking to watch. And the reactions of my friends that hadn't read the books was priceless, they were shocked. Anyway, R&R, your reviews really inspire me to keep writing!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Weirwood Wedding

_Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?_

_Will you still love me when I've got nothing but my aching soul?_

_I know you will, I know you will_

_I know that you will_

_Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?_

Lana del Rey, Young and Beautiful

NAEVA

Nervous excitement fluttered in Naeva's stomach as she looked at her appearance in the mirror. All day, the castle had been buzzing with excitement over her wedding. They'd had very little time to prepare, since Robb wanted to be married before they set out on the road again. Naeva had to admit her mother had done a pretty excellent job preparing the wedding on such short notice. It was going to be small, but Naeva didn't care about any of that.

There were several women buzzing around her as they got her ready for the wedding. One was going to work on her hair, the other readying her wedding dress. Another woman was dabbing her neck with perfume. Across from her, Naeva's sister Natalie was sitting in a chair watching her with a sad smile. Naeva called for two chairs and they were brought immediately. She sat in one, and beckoned Natalie to come and sit next to her in the other one.

Natalie walked over and sat next to her sister, and Naeva extended her hand to hold her sister's hand. "Why do you look so sad?" She asked her sister as people continued to fuss over her.

Natalie looked at the ground shyly before speaking. "I'm just being foolish." She responded. "I'm going to miss you." Her sister finally said, the same sad smile on her face.

"You're coming with me, though!" Naeva responded. Both her parents, her sister and brother were coming with her when she left. Her uncle was being left in charge of the keep.

"I know." Natalie responded. "But it won't be the same anymore. You're going to be a queen."

"I will always be your sister." Naeva responded. "No matter if I'm a queen or not." She squeezed her sister's hand reassuringly. "You don't need to worry. You're going to be part of my court!"

Natalie nodded, some of the sad expression disappearing from her face.

"Now, you should start getting ready! I still haven't seen the dress you told me you were wearing."

Natalie nodded and stood, and went to fetch her dress. Naeva was glad her family was coming with her. But she was worried as well. When the announcement had been made that Naeva and Robb were going to marry, almost all of the Frey's had left Robb's host, including Robb's squire. Now that her brother was almost 12, it had been decided that he would be Robb's new squire.

Her family was slowly becoming more and more involved in this war, and she knew it was only a matter of time before something tragic happened.

_Don't think like that. _She scolded herself. _Today is your wedding day. Today is a happy day._

Her mother had been thrilled when Robb had asked for her parents' permission to wed Naeva. As for her father, he wasn't as happy. Her father wasn't nearly as ambitious as her mother, and Naeva had a feeling he would have just rather had Naeva wed a small lord and live out her life peacefully and happily. But he agreed, nonetheless, and so today Naeva would be married.

One of the women helping her dress beckoned Naeva from her chair and began putting her dress on her. The dress was a deep purple, with beautiful patterning down the front and on the sleeves. The seamstresses had had very little time to make the dress for her, but it was stunning. By the time it was fully on her, Naeva could hardly believe how wonderful it looked. The women around her began to arrange the curls of her hair around her face, while another woman began braiding part of her hair back. When it was done, there would be two braids on each side of her head, and they would meet in the back of her head.

As she stared at her reflection, she realized that after today her life would be dramatically different. It would be her duty to bring an heir into the world for Robb. And people would look up to her, she would be a leader. It was a terrifying thought and an exciting thought at the same time.

She turned her head when the door opened to her room, and both her sister and mother walked in. Her sister was fully dressed now as well, and it seemed as though she had perked up since she had seen her last. "You look beautiful." Naeva told her sister immediately as she walked in.

"Me? Look at you!" Her sister replied, to which Naeva only smiled.

"Your fiancé is rather impatient." Her mother reported as she walked into the room. But her tone was good humored and for the first time in a long time Naeva felt like her mother seemed genuinely happy. "He's been trying to sneak in to see you for some time now." Her mother continued. "I sent him away. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

Naeva shook her head and laughed. She had a feeling Robb could care less about old superstitions.

"Everything is almost ready. We'll start soon." Her mother reported as she walked to her daughters side. "Everything is going to change." She told her daughter.

"I know." Naeva replied. "I'm ready."

Her mother nodded in response. "I hope so."

The sun was just beginning to set when the wedding began. At Naeva and Robb's request, the ceremony would not take place in the Sept, but instead in the Godswood before the Weirwood.

Naeva nervously patted down her dress as she prepared to walk down the aisle.

"You look fine." Her father told her.

She looked to her father and he smiled reassuringly. Naeva took in a deep breath and took her father's arm. They began to walk through the forest to where the ceremony would be taking place.

Her mother had done a wonderful job with so little time. The aisle was lined with small braziers, and on either side of the short aisle were seats for the small amount of people. There were white flowers wrapped around the braziers, which seemed to glow combined with the fading sunlight and the light from the braziers. The whole aisle was covered in white flower petals, and the scene seemed almost otherworldly.

Down the aisle stood Robb. Upon seeing him, Naeva felt her heartbeat quicken with nervous excitement. She was aware of the gazes of many people on her and she glanced at the ground nervously.

"Look up." Her father whispered to her. "You're about to be a queen."

Naeva immediately responded to his words, and lifted her head. She inhaled deeply to calm her nerves, and began the long walk down the aisle.

The guests were all looking at her, but she was only looking ahead at Robb. Their eyes met, and he smiled softly at her. She felt some of her nerves ease with his smile, but she was still trembling slightly. After what seemed like forever, they were finally before the Weirwood. Naeva hugged her father, and then stepped forward to stand across from Robb.

He was wearing his best, and looked handsome as always. He took both of her hands in his and smiled reassuringly. "You look beautiful." He whispered to her. Naeva was too nervous to speak, and only managed a nervous smile in return.

There was still a septon present at their wedding, and he stepped forward now to begin the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today as witnesses to the union between the King in the North, Robb of the house Stark, to the Lady Naeva, of house Fortescue. Here, in the sight of Gods and men, these two will become one.

"Do you, Robb Stark, take the Lady Naeva Fortescue to be your wife?"

"I do." Robb replied.

"Do you, Naeva Fortescue, take Robb Stark, King in the North, King of the Trident, and Lord of Winterfell, to be your husband?"

"I do." Naeva was surprised at the confidence in her voice. She had half expected herself to squeak the words out.

"Your grace, you may now cloak the bride, and bring her under your protection."

Robb placed the cloak around Naeva's shoulders. Gray and white, with the Direwolf of house Stark stitched into the back of it. The cloak itself was gray, the fur lining it was white as snow. As the cloth settled on her skin, she smiled and met eyes with Robb.

"Now, here before the Seven, and the Old Gods, say the words."

Naeva had rehearsed the words, but there had really been no need. She had been to enough weddings to know exactly what she was meant to say.

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maid, Crone, Stranger. I am his, and he is mine. From this day, until my last day."

Robb said the words as she did, and Naeva felt a warm glow in her chest. She couldn't have hid her happiness from showing on her face even if she had wanted to.

"The words have been spoken! They have been said before the Weirwood, anm ,mmd the Old Gods have witnessed this union. And I, the eyes of the Seven, have seen it. By the power vested in me, I now proclaim you husband and wife. My King, you may now kiss your bride."

AIDEN

Aiden took another sip of ale from his mug, and kept one eye trained on the goings-on of the party around him. Those in attendance were enjoying the festivities of the wedding, and at the head of it all was King Robb, and his new queen. She looked radiant, and it was easy for Aiden to see why King Robb had fallen for her. Aiden himself had been taken aback by her beauty the first time he saw her, but he couldn't quite grasp the logic behind the King in the North's decision making. Aiden had no doubt that this blonde beauty was much better looking than any of the Frey women that Robb was supposed to marry, but he couldn't help feeling that a beautiful wife wasn't worth the thousands of troops that they had just lost.

But, as a member of the King's personal guard, it wasn't really in his best interest to question the King's decision making. But as he took another sip of his drink, he couldn't help but to notice that the King's lords seemed to be in deep discussion. He couldn't imagine that they were too happy with his decision. And by the way they were talking and glancing at the new bride, he had a feeling he was right.

But now wasn't really the time to be worrying about that. Right now, there was a feast to enjoy. He took several gulps from his mug, and turned to Cadby and Marlon, who were already quite drunk. He clanked mugs with them cheerily, and tried to ignore the bad feeling he was starting to develop in the pit of his stomach.

He had hardly finished off his ale when a barmaid came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at her, and as he turned his head he felt the slight spin from beginning to feel the ale he had been chugging through the feast.

"The King requests your presence, ser." She said to him simply before she walked away.

_Well, shit._ Aiden thought. _Of course he wants to see me after I'm already drunk._ Aiden stood up from his seat, and felt the world spin again.

_Seven hells._ He thought bitterly.

After he gained his bearings, Aiden walked up towards the main table, doing his best to walk in a straight line and not stumble. Eventually, after running into several people and steadying himself on a few shoulders, Aiden made it up to the head table.

"My King. My Queen." He mumbled out as clearly as he could, dipping his head to the young wolf and then to the woman beside him.

As he looked up, Aiden took a moment to study his queen. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he looked at her, and he kicked himself mentally. _She is your queen, you fool. Don't look at her that way._

But it was hard not to. With flowing blonde hair that fell in soft ringlets down her back and skin as fair as milk, she truly looked like the embodiment of the Maid. Her eyes were a bright green, and reminded him of the start of summer. Her wedding dress did wonders for her body, and didn't hold back on any of her assets. It made complete sense to Aiden why the King had decided to marry this girl over the Frey girl.

"This is the man I was telling you about, Naeva." King Robb said to his wife. "He saved my life outside of Lannisport. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

Aiden was taken aback by the King's praise, especially to hear that he was telling the new queen about him.

"You must be a fantastic swordsman, Aiden. My husband speaks so highly of you. I must thank you for being there for him in that battle. I owe you a debt." The Queen spoke to him, and Aiden felt his heartbeat quicken even faster at her praise.

"My Queen," Aiden began, trying desperately not to slur his words. "It was my honor to protect my king."

The Queen nodded in approval at his words, and turned to look at her husband. The King met her gaze for a moment before speaking.

"Aiden, I trust you with my life. But now I'm going to trust you with something I value even more than my own life. We have a long march ahead. We've already been ambushed once. My wife will be with us on the journey back to Riverrun. I want you to be the head of her Queensguard for the journey to riverrun. Once we're back there, I will take you back into my personal guard."

Aiden felt his mouth fall open, dumbfounded, and had to remind himself mentally to close his mouth again. Head of the Queensguard? It would be his sole job to make sure that this woman stayed alive, no matter what. King Robb was trusting him with this job. He could hardly believe his ears. Wasn't there someone more qualified? _Surely there is. But he trusts me. _Aiden realized. He looked up to make eye contact with the Queen, who was looking at him expectantly. Aiden stayed silent for another moment, and then finally found his ability to speak again.

"It would be an honor, my Queen." Aiden said, stumbling over his words.

"It's an honor to have such a brave warrior defending me." She replied. As she said the words, she reached over and took her husband's hand.

King Robb met his Queen's eyes for a moment before looking back at Aiden. "Thank you, Aiden. Now, go enjoy the rest of the feast."

Aiden bowed in response, and righted himself as he stumbled slightly when he stood up. With that, the King and Queen began talking again, and Aiden walked back over to his seat, where Cadby and Marlon were waiting wide-eyed.

"What in seven hells just happened?" Marlon exclaimed.

Aiden plopped down at the table, grabbed a mug full of ale, and clanked mugs with the other two men. "A toast!" He declared. "To myself, the new head of the Queensguard for the journey to Riverrun."

….

ROBB

Robb was feeling decently drunk when he and his new wife made it back to their room that they now stayed in together. He had fore-gone the bedding ceremony. The thought of other men undressing his wife had made his blood run hot, so he elected to abandon that part of the tradition.

He opened the door to their room for Naeva, and gave her a dramatic bow. "My Queen." He declared as he bowed. Naeva laughed in response and walked into the room, a smile still on her face as Robb shut the door behind them.

He watched as she walked into the center of the room, and then turned to face him. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine she had been drinking, and her hair was no longer in the perfect ringlets it had been in during their wedding, but he didn't care. He could hardly believe that he was looking on her as his wife. His chest filled with warmth at the thought, and he felt the warmth spread into his face and become an almost boyish smile as he looked at her. She tilted her head sideways and returned his smile with one of her own, and giggled just slightly as she did so.

"What are you looking at?" She asked him, the smile still on her face.

Robb crossed the room to her and placed his hands on her hips. He lifted one hand to her face, and pushed her hair over her shoulder, and then leaned forward to kiss her forehead. He pulled away from her, and met her fiery green eyes as she looked up at him. "I'm looking at you, my love." He responded. Then he leaned forward to kiss her nose, and then her cheek, and then her lips.

He pulled her toward him so that there was no distance between them, and Naeva giggled slightly as he did so. He felt himself grinning like a fool, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't recall a time when he had ever been happier. He kissed her again, and again, and again, until his head was filled with clouds. He felt the gentle tug of her pulling on the strings on his doublet, and he returned the favor by tugging the strings on her dress loose.

…

A/N: And there's chapter seven! Now it's off to Riverrun after this! Please, R&R!


End file.
